Do You Hate Me?
by Kirek
Summary: The preperations for the mission are underway. Finally updated. Ch14: "Laying the Foundation - Part III" is up! (NarutoTemari, ShikamaruIno, OC?)
1. Coming to Terms

**Do You Hate Me?  
**  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Please read the A/N's, they have important notes in them.  
_  
**Chapter 1 – Coming to Terms: (Revised)  
**  
Sunlight beamed down at two young boys who could be seen facing each other. They each stood on top of a huge statue of a male Shinobi, one hand in an eternal seal and one gripping a sword. Divided by a loud crashing waterfall they both shouted each others name.  
  
"Naruto!!!"  
  
"Sasuke!!!"  
  
The blonde boy with sky blue eyes in an orange jumpsuit jumped towards the boy with black hair and dark eyes, one of them glowing ominously. As the blond boy fell down from the momentum of his jump he was horrified to see that the raven haired boy's skin on his left side was covered in a flame pattern tattoo. He quickly turned his horror into anger and slammed his fist in the other boy's face, causing them both to fall to the ground harshly.  
  
Gripping his eternal rival by his jacket, Naruto started shouting at him. "Sasuke! How could you! How could you betray our village! How could you betray Sakura-chan?!"  
  
Sasuke started chuckling softly. "Ku ku ku... You idiot. I don't need the Leaf. Orochimaru has promised me power. With it I'll finally destroy my brother. Thanks to the curse seal I'll definitely become stronger than him."  
  
"You moron! Orochimaru doesn't want to help you gain power! He just wants to take over your body; you'll never be able to avenge your family!" With that Naruto hoisted Sasuke in the air and threw him away.  
  
To Naruto's utter annoyance Sasuke chuckled again. "You know nothing, no- one in the Leaf means anything to me anymore, only power. You won't stand in my way of my goals... Dead last."  
  
Rage burning inside him, Naruto ran towards the black haired boy. "You betrayed the Leaf and you hurt Sakura-chan's feelings. I don't know why she loves you but I won't forgive you!"  
  
As he neared Sasuke he saw him disappear, only to appear right behind him. Sasuke quickly kicked Naruto in the back sending him flying into a large rock wall causing several boulders to fall on top of him.  
  
As he saw Naruto buried under a pile of rocks, Sasuke smirked. "Hmmph, still useless as always."  
  
"You should have learned not to underestimate me by now, Sasuke." Came the reply in a low growl.  
  
Sasuke merely raised an eyebrow. "You're overpowered, just bow down and accept your fate. Go back limping to that precious village of yours." Hearing a laugh from the rubble he tensed slightly.  
  
"Psst, over here." Naruto said as he jumped out from underground behind Sasuke. The tattoo covered boy swiveled around just in time to receive a fist full in his face which sent him staggering backwards. However Naruto wasn't done yet as he had created ten shadow clones which had tunneled their way underground towards the black haired Genin. Each of them jumped up from the ground like Naruto had done. Surrounding Sasuke they all started kicking or punching him.  
  
Sasuke grunted in pain and leaped into the air. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu! (Flame Type: Powerful Fireball Technique)" He shouted and roasted all of Naruto's shadow clones causing them all to disappear in a cloud of smoke.  
  
"If that's all you can do you're going to go down, traitor."  
  
Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw Naruto appear before him with another batch of shadow clones. All of them grinning in a feral manner and showing off their rather pointy incisors. As one of them ran up to Sasuke and kicked him in the chin he heard and felt Naruto shouting and carrying out his favorite combo. "U..." A kick. "Zu..." Another kick in the side. "Ma..." A punch in the gut that took Sasuke's breath away. "Ki!" A kick in the back that sent him even higher into the air. "Naruto Rendan!!!" Four heels slammed into his chest and he couldn't even draw air into his lungs anymore. Coupled with gravity, the finishing blow sent Sasuke hurtling towards the ground where he created a small crater on impact.  
  
Naruto and his clones landed and walked warily over to the edge of the newly created hole. As the smoke from the impact dispersed, Naruto gazed down and saw that the curse seal had withdrawn from Sasuke's body to the tiny symbol on his shoulders once again. Dismissing his clones he stumbled down towards his rival, no, his enemy. Leaning over Sasuke he whispered: "Sasuke, you idiot. You lost my respect, you're the weakling."  
  
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes snapped open and his hands went towards Naruto's neck, holding him in a vice-like grip. "I don't need respect from the likes of you." Sasuke then punched Naruto several times in the stomach, extracting several grunts of pain from the blond haired boy. Dropping him, Sasuke kicked Naruto in the gut and watched him slide painfully for several yards across the ground.  
  
Shrugging off the pain, Naruto stood up and spat the blood from his mouth. "Well it seems that little love bite did give you a bit more power after all, Sasuke...chan!" Forming the seal of his favorite technique, Naruto glared at the black haired boy with glowing red fox-like eyes from behind the middle index finger cross. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Now more then two hundred menacing Naruto's appeared and glared down at Sasuke. All of them growled the same thing. "Let's get this party started."  
  
For years to come Sasuke would still remember the beating he received at the hands of the blond haired Shinobi. And could recall thinking that pissing Naruto off was a very stupid thing to do. Beating the nearly countless clones with Taijutstu and Ninjutsu techniques, Sasuke was slowly being worn down. After what seemed like hours two clones managed to get behind him and was being held tightly by them. The now demon possessed boy himself stepped in front of him and started gathering his chakra in his left palm. Sasuke's eyes widened, he knew what that technique could do after seeing it rip a gigantic hole in a water tank on top of the hospital and immediately gathered all his remaining chakra.  
  
Air seemed to be sucked in as Naruto managed to form a perfect glowing white orb of swirling chakra in his hand. Looking up he saw a hint of fear on Sasuke's face but he was beyond caring. Pushing it towards Sasuke's stomach he roared; "RASENGAN!!!"  
  
With an earsplitting scream, Sasuke flew backwards, spinning out of control. He slammed with a huge force into the rubble that was created by Naruto only less than an hour earlier. Finally sated, the demon that resided in Naruto grew dormant once again and caused the sparkling blue to return to his eyes. He was surprised to find Sasuke still breathing. No the Uchiha wasn't dead, but he had broken just about every bone in his body and his limbs were sticking out at odd angles. Naruto jumped when he heard two voices behind him.  
  
"That was excessive was it not?" A red headed young man said.  
  
"Wow Naruto-kun! You're awesome! But you didn't kill him did you?" Another boy said, this one wearing what seemed to be a one piece skintight green suit. He turned his head with a black bowl haircut towards Naruto with wide eyes.  
  
"Thickbrows... Gaara... Glad you could make it..." With that and a small smile, Naruto fainted.

* * *

'Aargh my head' Naruto thought as he fluttered his eyelids open. Sky blue eyes scanned his surroundings. 'I'm floating...?' He rolled his eyes upwards and saw the back of a red haired figure. "Gaara?" He whispered.  
  
Gaara immediately turned his head, looked down at the Naruto and said; "You're awake." With that the blond haired boy immediately felt the nice floating experience disappearing as he was dropped on the ground.  
  
"Oi! What was that for?" Naruto exclaimed when he stood up again. He rubbed his backside and followed Gaara who was already walking away.  
  
"You were awake; there was no more need for you to be lying on the stretcher I made for you. We are also nearing your village." Gaara stated calmly.  
  
"At least give him some warning eh, Gaara?" A brash voice said followed by a loud bark.  
  
"Kiba, Akamaru, you guys made it ok huh?"  
  
"Yeah, Gaara and his brother and sister saved me, him and you. We picked up Neji and Chouji when we went back to the village, they'll both be ok. I don't know what you did with Sasuke though, but he'll make it too I guess." Another voice explained, this one sounding rather bored.  
  
Naruto moaned. "Don't ask, Shikamaru. I don't want to talk to about it right now."  
  
"Meh, I didn't really want to know anyway. All I want to do is deliver my report and go home to get some sleep. This is all way too troublesome." Shikamaru retorted.  
  
"There it is!" Kiba yelled as his dog started yapping excitedly.  
  
The group entirely composed of Genin walked or floated on stretchers made of sand, courtesy of Gaara, towards the Gates of Konoha. The two guard's one duty stared warily at the three Sand siblings but quickly ordered the gates to be opened when they saw the wounded figures on the stretchers. Stepping through the gate they found themselves on a large plaza with a large path on the other end lined with benches. On one of those benches sat a pink haired girl. She was dressed in a long red dress with a skintight pair of black shorts. The dress had slits on either side that ran up to the middle of her thighs and it had circle symbols on the front, back and her short sleeves. As she saw them she jumped up from the bench and ran towards one of the stretchers.  
  
Naruto started talking to the girl. "Sakura-chan, I..." But was shoved aside as she ran towards Sasuke, the boy he had promised to bring back for her. As she reached the raven haired boy she started sobbing uncontrollably. Naruto couldn't help but to feel hurt and it clearly showed on his face.  
  
Temari, Gaara's sister, watched the girl and the blond haired boy with a slightly confused expression. Kankuro, Gaara's brother, who had been watching his sister noticed this and asked; "Temari, what's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing. That girl is just rather rude, understandable but still..." Temari said in a soft voice.  
  
"Uh... Whatever." Kankuro said and turned back to the leader of the five Konoha Genins. "So what do we do now?"  
  
Shikamaru scratched the back of his head and said; "You guys come with me to the Hokage's office after we drop Neji, Chouji and Sasuke off at the hospital. Tsunade-sama will want to know why you guys showed up and everything."  
  
"She already knows." Gaara said.  
  
Shikamaru sighed. "Well, Kiba I guess you, Lee and Naruto... Huh, where's Naruto?"  
  
Kiba looked around. "I don't know he was here a minute ago." His faithful companion Akamaru barked his acknowledgment.  
  
"Oeh! Naruto-kun is so stealthy!" Lee shouted, showing his admiration for the blonde Genin clearly.  
  
"How troublesome." Shaking his head, Shikamaru decided they would have to find him later. "Well let's get going, the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I'll be rid of you guys and get to see my bed."

* * *

The person in question was going nowhere in particular, he just wanted a place where he could be alone and mull over the thoughts brewing in his head. He knew he was a mess; blood matted his blonde spiky hair and was splattered all over his orange jumpsuit. Whether it was his own or Sasuke's he didn't know. But he really couldn't care any less at the moment. His normally sparkling sky blue eyes seemed subdued, more or less reflecting his mood.  
  
If he was quite honest with himself he was alone and unhappy, very much so. His haggard appearance was noted by many of the villagers, but instead of trying to make sure he got his wounds taken care of, they glared at him with cold eyes and whispered insults and snide remarks behind his back. He inwardly winced every time as he overheard one of them, not that they bothered to keep their whispers that unnoticeable from him anyway. Even though he was kind of used to the cold stares and insults it didn't really make it hurt less. Normally he would have just told them to shut up and respect him because he was going to be the next Hokage. But even that didn't much appeal to him. He could understand the villagers but he at least thought Sakura would thank him. 'Damn that Sasuke' he inwardly cursed.  
  
Not really noticing where he was going, he bumped into a tree, Naruto glared at it as if daring the tree to say anything. He sighed and climbed up the tree to sit on one of the thick branches high up in the canopy. Hidden behind the leaves he went over all the things that had happened. Sasuke, almost drunk with power the curse seal had given him, still didn't know where true power came from. He had made one big mistake in the fight; he underestimated Naruto yet again as he always did. Naruto summoned countless shadow clones and wore Sasuke down. Naruto, in the end, had to use his most powerful technique; the Rasengan taught to him by Jiraiya, one of the legendary three sennin affectionately called: Ero-sennin.  
  
'Bah, why didn't she just say thanks? I deserve that much don't I?' Naruto thought and slammed a fist in the tree trunk. A part of him understood, it really did, but now it was conflicting with the other part of him, the huge part of pure stubborn pigheadedness that was the normal day to day Naruto. Yet that small part that understood spoke up again, it knew Sakura really liked Sasuke even if he didn't deserve it. And deep down he understood and began to let his childish crush go. He took a deep breath and embraced that little defiant part of himself. 'No sense in depressing myself any further. She doesn't like you, now get over it already.' With this final determination, Naruto jumped out of the tree, groaning as the nerves in his weary legs sent waves of pain in protest to his brain from the landing. He looked up at the sky; the sun was nearly winking out of view to let the moon begin its shift for the night. He walked gingerly and slowly towards his own home for a tasty bowl of ramen and a good night's sleep. Maybe tomorrow he'd have a good idea of what to do.

* * *

_A/N: This is a revised chapter. I'm in the process of getting a beta-reader so it might get revised again. Anyway I added the fight between Naruto and Sasuke as I thought it would happen in the first place. Besides I hate Sasuke, hehehe. (Gets beaten to a pulp by Sasuke fan girls) Anyway, I've refined my plot and I'll try even harder to make my fic the best it can be. The way it's turning out now I think I'm doing a pretty good job for my first time :)  
  
Please leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter. Even small ones are appreciated. _


	2. Aftermath and Feelings

**Do You Hate Me?  
**  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Please read the AN's, they have important notes in them.  
_  
**Chapter 2 – Aftermath and Feelings: (Revised)  
**  
Naruto was awake, though barely. Well you couldn't really say he was awake since Naruto was still in that fuzzy and extremely comfortable period between actual sleep and being awake. His wounds and sore muscles were all taken care of thanks to Kyuubi and the healing powers he gave Naruto. In Naruto's mind everything that was wrong with him could be cured with a simple good night's sleep. He was half right, just about everything _physical_ was cured. Then the full lead weight of yesterday's events hit him and it more than ruined his mood.  
  
He would have stayed in bed all day if it wasn't for someone banging on his front door and muffled shouts someone sent through it. Bolting upright in a sitting position he tried to jump up from his bed but got tangled in his bed sheets and fell, quite unceremoniously, face first on the floor... Right with his nose on a sweat sock he didn't bother to put in the laundry basket. "Aargh, what a way to start the morning." He groaned and scraping as much dignity together as he had left he proceeded towards the front door, occasionally cursing as he stumbled over the many items strewn across his cluttered bedroom.  
  
He jerked open the door only to get rapped hard on the head by what his visitor assumed was still the door. "Ouch! Watch what you're doing!" Naruto yelled rubbing the forming lump on his spiky head. "Oh hey Kiba, what's up?"  
  
For his part Kiba looked a bit ashamed of having hit Naruto but quickly recovered with his brash and obnoxiously loud demeanor. "Good morning you sleepyhead, you're ordered to go to the Hokage's office right awa-"  
  
"What does the old hag want with me?" Naruto cut across Kiba.  
  
"She wants to know what really happened yesterday with Sasuke you dumbass! What else?!" He shouted, not believing the sheer stupidity of the blonde before him. Akamaru barked in support for his master.  
  
"Alright, alright I'll go." Naruto muttered and slammed the door in Kiba's face.  
  
Kiba stood outside, quite perplexed. "That's it? No more complaining? Something is seriously wrong with him Akamaru." Akamaru just softly whined. "Well come on boy let's continue our walk!" That said the boy ran off towards the forest with his dog following right on his heels and shouted: "Dynamic air marking Akamaru!"(1) Producing several shouts of disgust of passersby.  
  
Naruto on the other hand wasn't as energetic as he usually was. After slamming the door in Kiba's face he slumped down on the floor and leant against the door with his back. He really didn't want to relive the events of the day before he would be content enough with crawling into a small dark space and never deal with Konoha ever again. Naruto sighed and got up anyway. 'The old hag will probably beat me up if I don't go to see her.' Naruto thought and started finding his clothes in the mess that he called home.

* * *

The fifth Hokage for her part didn't think anything at all, which was of course hard to do when you were snoozing on important documents that needed to be signed. Her whole office was cluttered with heaps and piles of paper all waiting for the Hokage to read or sign them. Tsunade was a woman of action and clearly not cut out for a desk job which was precisely the reason why she kept on putting it all off. But she would undoubtedly be woken up again by one of her assistants and he would berate her on sleeping on the job. Of course today was just like any other day and the Hokage was startled awake by one of her exasperated assistants.  
  
"Hokage-sama were you sleeping again?"  
  
"Huh?" Was the sleepy reply of the Hokage as she shot up, a document still clinging on her right cheek and a small line of drool dribbling down her chin. She peeled off the document revealing a few lines of ink on her cheek. Finally awake she vigorously rubbed off the ink and drool. "Of course not Koteshi!"  
  
Koteshi nearly face vaulted but decided not to say anything further on the matter knowing it would be quite futile if he did. "Hokage-sama you have a visitor."  
  
"Ah, Naruto. Send him in." Tsunade said.  
  
"Right away Hokage-sama." Koteshi said and hurried out of the office.  
  
Tsunade got up from her chair and walked towards one of the windows in her office and gazed out over Konoha, the village she now would give her life to protect. Her pale blond hair which had two plaits down the back of her head and the bangs that framed her porcelain face swayed forth and fro as a gentle breeze swept through the sky.  
  
Hearing someone opening the door and step inside, Tsunade didn't even bother to look back. "Good morning Naruto-kun." She said and proceeded towards her chair and sat down expecting to face a bubbling ball of hyperactivity. She frowned as she looked at Naruto, whose clothes were even messier than normal and had a look of dejection on his normally grinning face. Deciding that she'd ask what was wrong with him later after she'd heard his side of the events that took place yesterday, she stayed quiet and waited for the boy's reply.  
  
Naruto who had been staring at the floor finally looked at the well endowed woman who didn't bother to hide her very respectable cleavage. "Good morning Oh-ba-chan."  
  
Now Tsunade definitely knew something was wrong. He didn't even call her an old hag! And chan? Since when did he add chan? "So you probably know why you're here?" She started and the blond boy nodded dumbly. "Well please tell me what happened when you finally caught up with Uchiha Sasuke."  
  
Naruto then told her what happened. Everything from chasing the four sound- nins to every time one of them stayed behind to face one of the sound-nins. He also told her about facing Kimimaro and Lee showing up so he could give chase to Sasuke. Finally he started on how he had fought Sasuke and having to end it with his Rasengan. Tsunade's eyes widened slightly at that 'I should have known. It took me ages to heal all those broken bones and torn ligaments.'  
  
"Well then we came back but you know all about that of course." Naruto finished and once again resumed staring at the floor.  
  
Tsunade's brow furrowed for a moment. "Well you'll be pleased to know no- one died of their wounds. Lee and Kiba suffered some minor injuries, Chouji is just exhausted, he burnt off all his fat and will remain asleep for at least a couple more days. Neji, aside from Sasuke suffered the most grievous wounds which I was just barely able to heal in time. Sasuke had broken his arms, legs, collarbones, cracked a few ribs and suffered some other injuries. Not really hard to heal but he'll be bedridden for at least a month. Not that we'll let him go anywhere for the time being anyway. As for Temari, Kankuro and Gaara..." Naruto's ears perked up at that "...they were uninjured." Tsunade stopped there, expecting a question about the three siblings. When there didn't seem to come one from Naruto she continued. "I bet you were all surprised about those three showing up? Well as you know the Sand made a peace treaty with the Leaf and sent a few groups of Shinobi's to help with the defense of our village. Gaara immediately wanted to come and I expect he's quite eager to talk to you later." Once again she waited for a response from Naruto.  
  
"Okay." Naruto muttered.  
  
Tsunade sighed and picked up a pen and a scrap of paper. "I gave them temporary housing on the east side of the village," She said as she started scribbling down an address. She handed it to Naruto who took it silently and stuffed it in his pocket. "Now, I want you to tell me what's wrong." She said and stared intently in Naruto's blue eyes.  
  
Naruto didn't really know what to say, his feelings brewing inside him like a violent thunderstorm. Could he really trust this old lady with his feelings? Inwardly he shrugged, 'I might as well' and opened his mouth to speak. "Oh-ba-chan... Do... Do you h-hate me?" He stuttered.  
  
Tsunade was stunned; of all responses she didn't expect this. "What do you mean Naruto-kun?"  
  
Naruto's shoulders which were already slumped seemed to drop even further. "Yesterday Sakura-chan wouldn't even look at me and even though I returned Sasuke, no-one even complimented me. When I walked home all I got were insults and cold glares... As always... Am I... Am I really a demon? I mean I know I'm not really, I got this stupid fox inside me and the stupid fur ball gives me power occasionally. But am I a bad person like him?" Naruto sniffed once and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I'm just tired... Tired of being lonely..." After that statement he looked at the floor again, refusing to let his tears fall.  
  
Tsunade cried on the inside for this boy. This lonely, lonely boy. "Naruto- kun" she half whispered. "Naruto-kun look at me."  
  
Naruto sniffed again and looked into Tsunade's eyes, nothing short than two brown pools of warmth. Tsunade's heart was nearly wrenched in two as she saw the sheer agony in Naruto's sky blue eyes. Taking a deep breath she got up and knelt beside him putting one hand on his shoulder and one hand on top of his own hands. "You have a crush on that Haruno girl, Sakura don't you?" She was surprised to see Naruto shake his head.  
  
"N-not anymore, she likes Sasuke..."  
  
Lifting her hand from his shoulder she patted his head lightly. "Well that's quite alright Naruto. You're very brave, not many people would willingly give up their crush even though the person they like liked someone else."  
  
Naruto shook his head again and averted his eyes to start looking down again when Tsunade firmly put a finger under his chin, lifting it, forcibly making him look at her. "Now you listen to me young man. You are brave. Don't deny it. Everyday you show your courage by simply getting up and going through the day. I know how hard it is to go on without someone precious to you." She said as she remembered losing her boyfriend Dan and her little brother Nawaki. "But now we both have precious persons. For me it's you and all the people of the Leaf, even that pervert Jiraiya! You still have Iruka and what about Kakashi and Sakura. Even Sasuke when we beat some sense into that thick skull of his. I know that you're upset about Sakura but don't be. A person like you will find another girl soon enough. Anyone not willing to like you or be with you is just stupid and should be ignored, they're not worthy to be noticed."  
  
No-one ever said anything like this to him, not even Iruka-sensei. And Naruto wasn't quite sure what to think now. Finally he said the only thing that seemed to pop up inside his head. "Y-you're one of my precious persons too Oh-ba-chan." Naruto said and a tear finally escaped and rolled down his cheek.  
  
Tsunade felt her heart swell and beamed at him. "Thank you Naruto-kun..." She softly whispered. No words were necessary anymore as Tsunade grabbed the blonde boy and put his head just above her breasts. Placing her chin on top of his head, she held him tight and let him cry, muttering sweet encouragements and rubbed his back until he finished.

* * *

As he stood outside Naruto knew he did the right thing in entrusting someone with his feelings. He felt as though the large weight that had been dragging his heart down into a pool of misery was lifted. He had even been hugged; no-one ever hugged him like _that_ before. Grabbing the note with the address out of his pocket he studied it and wondered why Gaara would ever want to help the Leaf.  
  
As he walked towards the siblings' house he came to a sudden realization. 'He's got a demon inside him like I do, he understands...' A small smile curving his lips, Naruto ran almost happily towards the house of the three Sand siblings. Today he'd find out what going on with Gaara and maybe... Maybe make a new friend.

* * *

**__**

**_(1): Douteki Saitentei (Dynamic Air Marking) is basically jumping forward and spinning like a top spraying urine all over the place. As seen in manga chapter: 172, Volume 20.  
_**  
_A/N: Pfff, another semi-revised chapter. I added a few words here and there and fixed some stuff. Maybe I constantly stare myself blind on my chapters but just now I found out that I had typed Lead instead of Leaf? I mean, dude? Aaargh. Anyway here it is. Hopefully it's a bit better then before. _


	3. New Discoveries

**Do You Hate Me?  
**  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's.  
_  
**Chapter 3 – New Discoveries: (Revised)  
**  
The moment the pink-haired girl with a Konoha head protector tied as a headband atop her head walked past the ANBU guards and stepped inside _his_ room she almost regretted it. Conflicting emotions battled each other for dominance of her body. On the one hand she wanted to run out the room and forget all about him and on the other hand she wanted to run over to him and embrace so he would never leave again. In the end she decided she wouldn't do either. Walking in the almost blindingly white room she looked at the person she loved. He lay there breathing shallowly with occasional spasms flitting across his pale face and his bangs were plastered on his forehead due to excessive sweating. It looked as if he was fighting some internal struggle but then she realized she wouldn't ever know. If anything the person she loved was cold, calculating and introspective.  
  
Raising her hand over his face to gently wipe his black hair off his sweaty forehead, she gazed around in the room finding it to fit almost perfectly with the person now residing on the hospital bed. Perfectly white sheets, curtains and walls. Everything was so bare and unreal, it only served one purpose. Yes, one purpose... He said it himself, nothing else mattered but power and to kill that one man. She sat down on a stool beside his bed and started fiddling with her fingers. Sitting there in the eerie silence, broken randomly by his shallow breaths, she allowed herself to truly think about the past events. Yesterday she didn't even allow herself to think, she was so overcome by emotions by seeing the one she loved broken and battered that she didn't pay any heed to her surroundings and acted pure on instinct. She only wanted to stay with him from now on and never let him go. Only when her sensei Kakashi showed up and put her under some kind of sleeping jutsu did she leave his side.  
  
It was Naruto that brought him back to her, he had kept his promise. As usual she was left behind. A useless Kunoichi. (1) She knew he had tried so hard but didn't even acknowledge him. She also knew some of his temporary teammates had suffered horrendous injuries but yesterday she didn't even care. A sob escaped from her mouth and she closed her eyes, trying without success to stop the tears from streaming down her face.  
  
With her inner self cheering her on she stood up and brushed the tears impatiently away. Sakura had always loved Sasuke, she knew he would never love her the way she had or would ever try but she never expected for her to start doing the same. Filled with a newfound resolve she walked out of the room and ignored her sensei as he said hello to her. She had other things to do, things that Sakura would never focus on just a short while ago. There was no more time for chit-chat and Sakura never noticed the clenching and unclenching of Sasuke's hands as she left him.

* * *

After watching Sakura ignoring his hello when she exited Sasuke's hospital room and disappear out of sight when she turned right at the end of the long hallway, Kakashi shook his head and sighed. 'Sasuke you'll never understand the true depth of the consequences from the decision you took when you tried to get to Orochimaru. It wasn't worth it, I hope someday you'll understand that at least.' Kakashi thought. Scratching his spiky silver hair, the Jounin poofed out of the hospital.

* * *

Naruto feeling happier than he had done in a long while ran towards a destination scribbled on a small piece of paper. He was going to see Gaara; he understood what Naruto had been through and maybe they could help each other. Gaara still creeped Naruto out with his weird dark rimmed azure blue eyes and scruffy red hair though. 'I wonder if he has really changed... I know! If there's one thing that will loosen him up it's my favorite food in the world! RAMEN!' He shouted out in his thoughts and put his trademark grin on his face.  
  
Turning around a corner he saw the house where the Sand-nin trio now lived. He noticed that it looked, well it looked like a big mansion, not one to rival the Hyuga mansion of course but it was big nonetheless. It was a three storey building, painted in varying shades of brown. It was surrounded by large round wooden beams that held up the balconies of the first and second floor. The house was topped by a large dome that reflected the beams the sun shot at the world and around the house were several small patches of flowers and trees in a large front and back garden. In all it created a calm and serene atmosphere. That is until that atmosphere was brutally dispelled when a young man was thrown through one of the huge windows on the ground floor. Impacting the ground harshly he rolled and tumbled towards Naruto. The blue eyed boy merely raised an eyebrow and looked at the groaning figure. "Oi, fatass what did you do?"  
  
The figure had some weird black stripes on his face and his eyelids hid his beetle like black eyes. He wore baggy black pants with a large pocket on the left side and a baggy black sweater with a hood that covered his hair. For some reason he had a large bandage covered package on his back from which a bit of spiky black hair escaped at the top. The figure stood up with a grunt and started swaying dangerously. He looked at Naruto, who had insulted him, with slightly crossed eyes. "My name is Kankuro! When I get my hands on the three of you I'm gonna kill you!" The figure slurred and promptly fell back down, unconscious before he even hit the dirt.  
  
Naruto looked back at the house and saw a young woman shrieking insults through the now broken window. "Ah, you pissed off your sister didn't you?" He commented dryly. "Still the same make-up wearing, doll playing freak as ever..."  
  
Naruto jumped up when he heard someone behind his back. "Please don't insult my brother, he's just an idiot."  
  
Naruto turned around and scratched the back of his nervously. "Ah, uh, hiya Gaara. It's been a while huh? We didn't get to talk much yesterday. Hehehe..."  
  
Gaara wore a black netted shirt shown underneath the front opening of a red do-gi tied with a black waistband around his middle. (2) Black baggy pants covered his legs and brown sandals with three chained straps graced his feet. "Yes." Was all that Naruto received as a response as Gaara grabbed his brother by the back of his shirt with one arm and carried him towards the house. Naruto hesitated for a few moments, noting the lack of the gourd Gaara usually carried around on his back with him, and then unsure of what to do he ran after them.  
  
"So uh, what are you guys doing here?" Asked Naruto.  
  
"We'll talk more when we're inside." The redhead responded.  
  
Naruto wisely shut his mouth and followed Gaara through a heavy oak door into the cool shade the house offered. As they passed through the hallway and stepped in the living room, Naruto looked around and was surprised to see there was hardly any furniture at all. A small table in the middle of the room and two leather clad sofas; a two-seater and a three-seater. Along the walls were two small wooden cabinets. While the house looked inviting from the outside it was nearly gloomy on the inside. 'Naruto you idiot they just moved in, what do you expect?' He thought and nodded to himself. After Gaara dropped Kankuro behind one of the couches they seated themselves on the sofas. Naruto then slapped his hands on his knees and turned over to Gaara. "So..."  
  
Gaara turned his head to look at the blonde boy and started explaining why they were here. "As you know the village of the Hidden Sand was misled by Orochimaru. He killed my 'father' and ordered us to attack the Hidden Leaf along with the Hidden Sound. We were beaten of course and the Hidden Sand offered its surrender to the Hidden Leaf. As a sign of... Goodwill... The Hidden Sand has sent four teams of Shinobi to help the Hidden Leaf to protect itself from any potential threat and of course to complete missions on behalf of the Hidden Leaf. One team of Jounin level Shinobi's, two teams of Chuunins and one team of Genin. I demanded to go and so I was sent here with my brother and sister as the Genin team. We have been instructed to stay at least five years."  
  
Naruto's eyes boggled at that. "F-five years?!" He sputtered and flailed his arms around. "But won't you miss your own village?"  
  
Gaara stared at Naruto again and shook his head. "No, there is nothing for me there, neither for my siblings. Besides, I owe the Leaf a large debt."  
  
As if waiting for this cue his sister Temari entered the room. She had emerald green eyes, sandy-blonde hair and had a total of four pigtails all bound tightly with red hair bands, two on the top and two on the lower back of her head. She was dressed in loose fitting long-sleeved white shirt with a low cut in the front, showing a black netted top. She wore a white gray knee length skirt which was more like a suede towel wrapped around her hips and had a strange netted garment that covered her upper left leg and her right calf. Her feet were in black open sandals with two straps. On her back was an extremely oversized fan which she deposited on the side of the sofa Gaara sat on and moved to sit beside the red-haired Genin. "Yes, even though Gaara has now changed... Thanks to you," she said and offered a small smile to Naruto. "Gaara has still not been accepted by the village as a normal person. You can even say it has even gotten worse. According to them we brought shame on the Sand for failing our mission, had we succeeded there would be no Hidden Leaf and we never had to surrender in the first place. We have dented the village's honor"  
  
Naruto gaped at the two of them as though not believing that could happen. Temari quickly continued on. "We might miss the Hidden Sand but from what we've experienced the Hidden Leaf can't be that bad."  
  
The blond boy jumped up suddenly and punched his fists in the air, startling Temari while Gaara just silently looked at him. "That's right! Let me take you to my favorite spot in the whole village, I'm sure you'll like it!"

* * *

Things were troublesome, it was the only way Shikamaru could describe it. Yawning excessively he got up out of his bed and scratched himself behind his left ear. His room would not excite many people but it was a place where he could relax and think about things. On his desk, which stood in front of a window, were several pieces of paper. All of them filled with various scribbles and doodles. He might not look like it but Shikamaru was an avid poet, well that is what it was normally called. Shikamaru called it being a writer of 'stuff'. He looked up at his ceiling which had been painted in seemingly random lines and figures. Shikamaru liked his ceiling; it was what he would look at when he couldn't be bothered to go outside to gaze at the clouds. He always liked to try and see hidden patterns and pictures in the mess of paint. He was also an avid Shogi and Go player, along with a number of other strategic games. On top of several tables in his room lay the boards for the games he liked to play; there was even one with an unfinished game between him and his best friend Chouji.  
  
"Chouji..." Shikamaru muttered. "You dumbass why did you take that last pill, all the woman of Konoha will be after you now." He might have said Chouji would die, and he would have if his fight had taken any longer. But all that was wrong with him now was exhaustion. "Pfff. He'll probably eat so much junk food as fast as he can to regain his fat anyway."  
  
After whining as he usually did he stepped inside the bathroom that was linked to his own bedroom and stared in the mirror. His hair was dangling down his face and his eyes were barely open. "Ugh I should have stayed in bed longer." He said to his reflection. With half a mind to do just that he decided that he'd just fix himself up and go downstairs. His mother would probably nag him to go outside and visit the hospital like a good little Shinobi. He sighed and opened the water faucet above the sink and cupped his hands to catch some of the water that was shooting out. He splashed it in his face and rubbed vigorously. After grabbing his thick black hair he pulled it in a spiky ponytail on the top of his head and bound it with a simple black string. Stepping outside of the bathroom he proceeded towards his closet and pulled out a simple outfit; a white t-shirt with a non-descript symbol on the front, black pants with pockets on the side and his normal heavy black boots. He picked up his Chuunin flak jacket that was hung over one of the chairs in his room and put it on. His teammate Ino teased him about it mercilessly. Inwardly though, he was quite proud of being the only one made Chuunin. Of course he would never tell anyone that.  
  
No sooner when he finished dressing he heard his mother yelling through the door. "Shikamaru! Get up this instant and eat the food I made for you! It's past noon already; you need to visit your friends!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah." He muttered grumpily.  
  
"One yeah is enough!" His mother scolded him after hearing him with a sense of hearing only mothers seemed to posses and stomped down a set of stairs.  
  
"How troublesome... I should have stayed in bed..."

* * *

(_**1): Kunoichi, a female Shinobi.  
  
(2): Do-gi, it's a piece of garment for the upper body. I trust you all know what a judo or karate outfit looks like? Just picture the 'shirt' of that.**_  
  
_A/N: Well for some reason I think this is a pretty good chapter. I hope you all like it, I started describing the surroundings a bit more and what the characters look like. If you all like it I think I'll go back to the first two chapters and edit those to include this kind of information.  
  
Anyway, I made up on what Shikamaru's room looks like. I think I did a pretty decent job, I just added some random stuff that seems likely for him. Oh and that 'yeah, yeah' bit is from the manga, for some reason is seems like the thing that would happen lots of times in his house.  
  
If it's going to slow for you readers I'm really sorry, but I wanted to take my time to explain more about the characters and I hope I did a good job so far.  
  
Ok and I think it's about time I responded to my dear reviewers, thank you all. Your reviews really make my day and make me try harder. On to the response!  
  
**Hexgar:** Thanks! I doubt Ino would take the place of Naruto's significant other. She seems more fitting for Shikamaru; they just perfectly offset each other. He won't even be rid of nagging away from his mother! :P  
  
**hyper yo yo boy:** I like stories that take place after this mission as well, it's always nice to see how different certain writers seem to view things and how they let it all turn out. Hopefully I'll do a good job. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Jezabelzebub:** Thank you for the compliments. I think I'll be leaning towards Temari as well, but who knows where this story might take me. Could you give me a link towards that fic? I sent you an email and I'm eagerly awaiting your reply.  
  
**Tessa Shelton:** Yeah I'm sorry about the shortness of the chapters, but hopefully I'll update soon enough for you guys so you won't have to wait too long. :) Like I said I want an unusual pairing for Naruto so that won't be Hinata or Sakura, for the other characters I don't really care as much. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Anon-entity:** Awww, shucks, you really mean it? Thanks, your review really made my day! :D  
  
**Eadha Ohn:** Hehe, yeah. Tsunade is really tough and all but I wanted to let her have a bit more of a special relation with Naruto. After all, how can you not like him?! Thanks for the review!  
  
**panuru4u:** Thank you very much. Well you might be on to something although it's still a contest between the two 'older' ladies. Naruto, what a charmer eh? ;)  
  
**hinanaru:** Have no fear! Even though some parts might be depressing I'll try to balance it out with measured amounts of fluff, romance and action. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Kisu:** Yeah, Naruto doesn't deserve all that hostility. Sadly the older villagers are clinging to their foolish grudges and nothing that other can do or say will make them change their minds. But as long as he has his precious persons... Thanks for the review!  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks! :)  
  
**Loki:** Thanks for the kind words. I already sent an email to someone else and I'll see how that turns out. Do you have an ICQ number? Maybe we can chat for a bit about this. I've read another fic with a Naruto/Temari pairing. It's awesome but it hasn't been updated for a month and I hope it's not dead. It is located here at a Temari shrine: sayuri.us/temari/ (just a http link)  
  
Well that's it; all of you please keep reading and don't forget to review! _


	4. Change of Plans

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom and be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 4 – Change of Plans:**  
  
Just when Temari thought that Naruto couldn't surprise her anymore he managed it anyway. First of all he defeated her brother, Gaara, then he brought back the so called genius who was the last survivor of the Uchiha clan and now she found out his favorite place in the whole world was a Ramen Bar?  
  
"Hey, this isn't just a ramen bar; this is the Ichiraku Ramen Bar!" The blonde boy said energetically when he heard Temari muttering her thoughts. She glanced at Gaara and was surprised to see a genuine smile on his face. Things were getting stranger by the day since they crossed paths with Naruto, but he couldn't help but influence anyone who met him. Be it in a positive or negative way.  
  
Before they went to Naruto's favorite spot, the hyperactive Genin showed them some sites in Konoha. Temari was in the village before but never stopped to admire the simple beauty that it radiated. The slight swaying of the trees and grass as the wind rolled by, the smells of various kinds of pretty flowers, the chirping of a cricket here and there, the coziness of slightly crammed together buildings and the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. It had a very calming effect if you only paused to let it all soak in. Her own village was beautiful in its own right but it seemed to pale in comparison to this. Yes, Temari would definitely like it here.  
  
Her reverie was shattered when she was poked in the side. Looking down slightly, she saw a grinning Naruto looking up at her expectantly. "Hey, hey, what kind of ramen do you want?"  
  
"Uhm, I don't know." She said quickly and took a step back from Naruto.  
  
Naruto put a finger on his chin and looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well me and Gaara are taking pork. The old man said that it was especially good today." He said happily.  
  
"I'll have that then." Temari said softly and looked at her brother again. He sat quietly on one of the stools and looked down at his ramen, a stark contrast with the ball of energy that was Naruto who was shouting for another bowl of Pork ramen for Temari and another for himself. She sat down next to Gaara, thanked the owner of Ichiraku when he put a bowl on the bar in front of her and began eating quietly like Gaara.  
  
Naruto however had no sense of manners as he gobbled up his second bowl in record time. "Goof, iffen'f if?" He said with his mouth full. Gaara and Temari nodded. The blonde boy, having a stomach that was more or less like a black hole, had another seven bowls before Gaara and Temari finished theirs.  
  
When they were all rather full with what they had eaten, in Naruto's case until he had no more money, Temari spoke up. "So where do you live Naruto?"  
  
Naruto face faltered a bit. "Well I live close by, it's nothing special."  
  
"I'd like to see it, I'm sure Gaara would too." Temari said, not noticing the change of moods Naruto went through.  
  
Naruto nodded slightly and motioned them to follow them. They only had to walk a short way along the road at which the ramen bar was located. Finally Naruto turned to walk up a rickety staircase to a rather small and shabby looking apartment.  
  
Temari raised an eyebrow. 'Does he really live here?' She thought.  
  
Reaching the door Naruto pulled out a key out of his pocket and used it to open the lock and led them inside his house. The first thing Temari wondered was if some sort of struggle had happened here. No scratch that, a struggle between two bull elephants. Carefully avoiding all the junk and garments strewn everywhere and something that she couldn't identify she listened to Naruto as he gave them a tour.  
  
"Well this is the living room and kitchen, that's the bathroom and that's my bedroom." Naruto explained and pointed at the various rooms.  
  
"That's it?" Temari said rather bluntly.  
  
Scratching the top of his head nervously, Naruto answered. "Uh, yeah, hehe."  
  
Gaara had remained quiet during the whole affair and scanned his surroundings. He took notice of the yellowing wallpaper that started to peel off the walls in random places everywhere. Dirt and grime were all over the floor and some cases over the wall and various items haphazardly crammed into overfull cabinets. Finally he spoke up and what he said surprised Naruto and Temari very much and would undoubtedly piss off Kankuro if he was here. "You will move your possessions into our house and live there with us."  
  
The people that happened to pass Naruto's house looked up when they heard a loud scream from two people. "WHAAAAAAAAT?!"  
  
"My sister and I will be here tomorrow morning, Kankuro will be here as well." Said Gaara in his normal commanding tone. Ignoring Naruto as he sputtered a few protests he dragged Temari out of the house by her arm and left a very confused and shocked Naruto standing in his living room.

* * *

_A lonely dark haired boy stood in a dark room, watching in shock as he saw his dead parents who were lying at his feet, their small river of blood a stark contrast on the pale wooden floorboard.  
  
**"Uwaa! Don't kill me!"  
**  
'You weakling!'  
  
**"You're not even worth killing foolish little brother."**  
  
'Why!'  
  
**"If you want to kill me, live miserably! Hate me! Survive through the ugliness. Run... Run... Run... Learn to survive."**  
  
**"They were just a measuring stick to test myself."  
  
"A measuring stick."  
  
"Just a measuring stick..."**  
  
'AAAAAAARGH!!!'  
  
The boy gripped his head and screamed as he relived the memories. The memories of the day his life changed. The day he had been forced to become an Avenger. He had to avenge his clan. His father... His mother... Oh how he missed them so terribly. His brother had to pay; his brother would die by his hands. But why was he still so weak? Why was he beaten by a dead last? Where did true power come from? Dropping on his knees he relived that day again. He had to find out, he just had to._

* * *

'Damnit! Why is he always around me when I don't need him but when I have to find him he's nowhere to be found?!' Thought Sakura angrily as she was looking for a specific boy. She had made a promise to herself when she was in Sasuke's room. She wouldn't rely on the two boys from her team to protect her anymore; she would become a powerful Kunoichi in her own right. On top of that she was very confused when she figured out that she started to stop liking the boy on which she had a crush for so long. She still didn't like that loudmouthed Naruto in that way though but she was resolved to at least thank him for fulfilling his promise to her, it was the least she could do.  
  
'Bah I shouldn't be thinking about those two, I need to find him! Where could he be...?' Mentally slapping herself on the forehead she had a sudden epiphany. 'Of course! The training fields, where else?' And she walked towards the one place where she would undoubtedly find Konoha's self proclaimed beautiful green beast. When she arrived she wasn't disappointed, in the distance she saw Rock Lee standing with his sensei, Gai. Lee was dressed in his usual dark green one piece training outfit with his Konoha head protector tied around his waist. Gai was dressed in a similar fashion but wore a flak jacket that gave away his rank as Jounin. Of course they both still had that bowl haircut. As Sakura got closer she could hear the pep talk that Gai gave to Lee.  
  
"All right Lee! We'll definitely make you stronger!"  
  
"Yes sensei!"  
  
Sakura couldn't help but smile at Lee's fighting spirit. Even having his left limbs destroyed and his spinal cord peppered with bone fragments didn't stop him from following his dream. 'This is exactly why I should ask him'  
  
Gai and Lee turned their heads when they heard Sakura running towards them.  
  
"Lee-kun! Gai-sensei!" She yelled and waved.  
  
"Sakura-chan!" Lee exclaimed happily.  
  
Gai smiled and nodded at the pink haired girl as she stopped running and doubled over panting. "Well, I'll leave you two alone shall I? And Lee! Don't forget your training!"  
  
"Yes sensei!" Lee shouted and saluted to his idol.  
  
After she saw Gai walk away, Sakura took another few moments to catch her breath. "Lee-kun, I need to ask you a favor."  
  
Lee was ecstatic, visions of Sakura fawning over him as he performed various tasks flashed in his mind. "Of course Sakura-chan, anything for my angel!" The boy said while holding a fist in front of him and small flames burning in his black eyes. "For you I would slay countless foes! I would protect you from any harm!"  
  
"Lee-kun..." Sakura started but was cut off by Lee's rambling"  
  
"I would fight off a dragon to save you!"  
  
"Lee-kun!"  
  
"I would even wash all your dishes! I would..."  
  
"LEE!!!" Sakura finally screamed.  
  
"Wh-what?" Lee stammered, cowering slightly in fear. Sakura sighed, she expected this would happen but it was still a bit annoying. Cute, but annoying all the same. "Lee-kun, I just need you to train me."  
  
To say Lee was surprised would have been the understatement of the century. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect this. His perfect Sakura-chan coming to him for training? Surely he must have misheard.  
  
Sakura sensing this, bowed and slapped her palms together in front of her face. "Please train me Lee-kun!"  
  
"I-I-I... W-well I..." Lee sputtered. "But w-why Sakura-chan?"  
  
To his horror Sakura started sniffling. "I don't want anyone to save me anymore, I want to become stronger. I've always been told that I have perfect chakra control but have no stamina. Control means nothing if you don't have anything to control in the first place! So please, please train me!"  
  
If Lee adored Sakura before, he now worshipped her completely. He understood her desire to become stronger; it was his dream after all. He looked at the object of his affection, this beautiful pink haired girl with her charmingly large forehead. Even if it cost him all the time of his life he would fulfill her desire. "Ok Sakura-chan, let's both become stronger!" Lee shouted and punched his right fist into the air.  
  
Sakura jumped up happily and punched her own right fist in the air like Lee. "Yes!"

* * *

The next morning found a loud knocking waking up Naruto who banged his head on an overhead shelf in surprise. He rolled over to his side to look bleary- eyed at the alarm-clock on his bedside cabinet. 'Seven in the morning, what the hell?' Another chorus of impatient knocking on his front door caused Naruto to groan. "Go away! It's too early!" Whoever it was, he or she would have to wait and Naruto snuggled back inside the warm comfort of his blanket. Not hearing anything after a few moments Naruto fell asleep again. Only to be brutally re-awakened when his front door was broken down, revealing a very miffed Temari and Kankuro.  
  
"You little brat get up now! It's already embarrassing you're going to live in my house but I have to carry your damn things as well!" Kankuro yelled when he stepped inside Naruto's and saw the blonde boy lying in his bed. The puppet-user seemed to have taken the news of Naruto living in house rather badly because he then grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck and dumped him on the floor. Temari, watching this little scene unfold, couldn't help but stifle a giggle when she saw Naruto clutching what seemed to be a plush toy in the shape of a frog.  
  
'Giggle? Temari doesn't _giggle_.' Kankuro thought. "Are you alright Temari?" He asked as he watched her apprehensively. Temari scowled and slapped her brother across the back of her head. "Of course I am you idiot."  
  
'Now that's the Temari I know' Kankuro thought as he rubbed the now sore spot on his head but he was wise enough not to say it out loud. He shuddered as he remembered the window incident from yesterday.  
  
"Hah! You fat-ass, getting slapped around by a girl?" Naruto laughed, unwittingly bringing a mental 'I'm doomed' sign above his head.  
  
"What is that supposed to mean you little twerp!" Temari screeched and stalked towards the blonde boy. Just when she raised a fist to punch the living daylights out of him she was stopped by another voice.  
  
"Temari stop. We are here to pick up his things."  
  
Snorting, Temari turned away from Naruto. "Alright Gaara." Even though her red-haired brother had changed for the better, he still had the uncanny ability to order his siblings around and that they wouldn't complain if he did so.  
  
Naruto looked at them with a slightly bemused expression. The full weight of the realization that he was really going to live with them hadn't hit him yet. He asked them if they could wait in the living room and changed into his normal day to day clothes. Zipping up his orange jacket he stepped outside his room and found the three siblings already gathering his things in various boxes they had brought with them.  
  
"Damn you little brat, did you ever clean here?" Kankuro grumbled as he examined a plate with a vile spongy substance on it.  
  
Naruto thought for a moment. "Nope, guess I didn't bother with it that much!"  
  
Temari looked at him with an unbelieving expression. "How the hell did you manage to survive in this death trap for all these years?!"  
  
"I don't know I just did. It's not like I had a choice." Naruto said and shrugged.  
  
When she saw the pain hidden behind Naruto's blue eyes she didn't press any further. "Well let's just pack your things so we can get home and eat some breakfast."  
  
Naruto's face brightened at the mention of the word 'breakfast', nothing could lift his spirits like a huge amount of food. "Alright!" He shouted and hurriedly and haphazardly threw his possessions into the boxes.  
  
While the three boys were busy in the living room and kitchen, Temari went to Naruto's bedroom. A few moments passed as she surveyed the absolute mess that was Naruto's room. Sighing she started to dump his things en masse into the box she brought into the room.  
  
With the box full she looked around again to see if she had missed anything and her eyes fell on a calendar pinned to the wall. Grabbing it she noticed a date encircled by a red marker. 'October tenth... Naruto's birthday?' She thought when she saw a small line under the date saying; "My birthday! Thirteen at last!" 'But that's next week. I didn't know...' Normally this wouldn't have affected Temari, but she wanted to thank Naruto properly for what he had done. What better way than giving a birthday party and handing him a gift?  
  
Nodding to herself she stuffed the calendar with the rest of Naruto's things and walked back into the living room. There she saw that the three boys had already finished packing Naruto's meager possessions. One box was full with the blonde boy's clothes, one box with various scrolls and kitchenware and Temari had the box with the things from Naruto's bedroom.  
  
"Well that's it I guess." Naruto said and took a last look at the house where he had lived for as long as he remembered. Seeing it empty, Naruto truly understood he was going to live somewhere else. On one hand he was sad for no other reason than losing his familiar surroundings but on the other hand he was very happy that he was finally going to live somewhere with people that seemed to care about him. Well he wasn't sure about Kankuro, but Gaara and Temari did for as far as he knew. With a wide grin he looked at the three siblings and saw them looking back expectantly. "Let's go! I want to eat!"

* * *

_A/N: Well here's chapter four. Sorry it took so long but I recently got a beta reader and I sent him this chapter to look over. He said he was going to send it two days ago but I don't know what happened. So here it is, I looked it over again and fixed some stuff here and there. Hopefully it'll be enough to please all of you.  
  
As I'm sure all of you have already noticed, I picked the pairing for Naruto. And if you didn't notice I advise you to re-read the chapters :P  
  
Next up: Naruto's Birthday Party? A talk between Kakashi and Tsunade, what will happen with Sasuke and who is the other character I'll introduce? Finally a visit to the hospital and of course Naruto's birthday party. Who will visit and will Naruto get a kiss? Uh-oh. I hope you'll all keep reading because we're in for a wild ride :)  
  
Now on the response to the reviews!  
  
**sanchez:** Thanks! Well here it is!  
  
**Licht Sieger:** Thanks for the review. I'm sorry to say but you're wrong :P  
  
**Morgri:** Well as you might have noticed the obvious pairing I hope you won't be disappointed and will keep reading the story. Maybe in the future I'll create a story with the pairing you want. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Sirius183:** Well here it finally is, sorry it took so long. Thanks for the review!  
  
**RukaIayLomperGay:** Well I have no intention of stopping so I'll keep going. I'll wait for response of my beta before I start looking for another one. Thanks for the review!  
  
**N.C.C.:** Thanks and here it is! :)  
  
Well that's it for now, please review. If you have any suggestions on how to make it better it's highly appreciated. I've already started on chapter five so it won't take as long as this one._


	5. Naruto's Birthday Party?

****

Do You Hate Me?  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom be sure to read the A/N's.  
_  
**Chapter 5 – Naruto's Birthday Party?:**  
  
"Hokage-sama, you wished to see me?" Said a silver-haired Jounin.  
  
Tsunade looked up from her paper work and gripped a pen tightly. "You're late Kakashi..." She growled ominously.  
  
Kakashi chuckled beneath his partial face mask and closed his only visible eye that wasn't hidden by his head protector. "Sorry." He said and clapped his hands together in front of his face.  
  
"Forget it. I bet you know what I wanted to talk to you about?" Tsunade said and sighed in frustration.  
  
Kakashi, only smiling moments before, narrowed his visible eye slightly and coughed. "About Sasuke, yes?"  
  
Rubbing her forehead with her index fingers in frustration, Tsunade nodded. "He's caused a lot of trouble as you very well know. The Genins I sent very nearly died. On top of that, Lee also went after them and he had just barely recovered from his operation. They only survived because the help I requested from the Sand arrived in time."  
  
"So what do you want to do, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked.  
  
"I'm really sorry I have to do this Kakashi." Tsunade said. "But Sasuke is hereby suspended from Shinobi duties until further notice. An armed guard will accompany him everywhere until he proves himself trustworthy again. I doubt that Sasuke will awake for several months but I've already ordered an ANBU squad to guard him just incase."  
  
Kakashi sighed. "I'm sorry too. Is that all?"  
  
"No it's not. I don't know if you've heard the rumors. But the Mikadzuki clan has been driven out of the Hidden Moon Village." Tsunade said.  
  
"The Moon village still exists?" Kakashi asked with his visible eye widening in shock.  
  
"Yes it still does. But the survivor didn't tell me what country they came from." Tsunade explained with a soft smile.  
  
"Excuse me, survivor?" The silver-haired Jounin asked.  
  
Tsunade's face grew grim. "Yes, apparently it wasn't enough to run them out of the village. They killed every member of the clan except one. And she came here yesterday asking for asylum. Because the Leaf does not have any treaties with the Hidden Moon I granted her request. Her name is Mikadzuki Kumiko and I'll be assigning her to your team in a week, which should give her time to explore the village."  
  
"She's not another Sasuke is she?" Kakashi asked. "I don't know if I can handle that again."  
  
"No she's not. At least not that I know of. I mean she was rather shell shocked as you can very well imagine. Kumiko seems more like Naruto than anything although without the loud mouthing and extreme hyperactivity."  
  
"Oh no, I definitely can't handle that. A female version of Naruto?" Kakashi groaned and slapped his right hand over his visible eye.  
  
Tsunade grinned evilly. "There's more. She'll be staying at your place until she can find a house."  
  
"What?!" Kakashi exclaimed. "But that's not possi-"  
  
Tsunade cut off Kakashi. "No buts. I gave her your address already. I also gave her some money for new clothes and other supplies she might need so you don't have to worry about that."  
  
"But I..." Kakashi stammered.  
  
"Dismissed!" Tsunade said forcefully and went back to her paperwork.  
  
The silver-haired Jounin bowed respectfully. "Yes Hokage-sama." With that he walked out of Tsunade's office.

* * *

When Naruto spent the morning in the Sand siblings' house, things were interesting to put it mildly. He found out exactly why Kankuro had been thrown through a window yesterday. It turned out Temari liked to cook a good meal, the only problem was that when somebody would insult her cooking she would get extremely mad. And that was exactly the little snare Kankuro stumbled upon when he said that the eggs he wanted weren't completely hardboiled and that his rice was not sticky enough. Thankfully though, Kankuro had learned his lesson and under the glare of his sister holding a big wooden spatula he wisely kept his head low and his mouth shut.  
  
Naruto had the time of his life, having breakfast with other people which wasn't made by himself was oddly satisfying. He didn't even mind that he didn't get to have any ramen. He kept stealing glances at the two brothers and sister while they ate. Gaara, who was silent as always, was strangely comforting when he didn't radiate pure killer intent. The cowering Kankuro was just very amusing to watch and his sister, however strong and fierce she might be, was... Homely... Naruto couldn't put it in any other way. Every time he looked at Temari, with her apron tied around her front and then turning to glare at her black-haired brother every so often, he felt a flash of _something_. He didn't know what that something was; he had never felt it before. Shrugging, he put it out of his mind and savored the rest of his meal.  
  
When they all emptied their plates Temari spoke up. "Naruto, have you visited your teammates yet?"  
  
Naruto paled, because he had been so depressed lately he didn't even think about them. "N-no, I haven't yet."  
  
"We will go today." Gaara said and stood up from his seat. "Thank you for the meal sister." This behavior change still surprised his two siblings sometimes but it made Temari very happy. At least Gaara would appreciate her cooking unlike someone else she knew.  
  
"Yeah it was great!" Naruto shouted and grinned broadly.  
  
Kankuro indistinctively muttered something which rewarded him with a hard whack on the head with the large wooden spatula. "What was that?!" Temari growled with a vein throbbing on her temple.  
  
Her puppet-using brother shrunk into his seat. "It was great too..." He softly whimpered and clutched his hands on his head.  
  
With their bellies full, the four cleaned up the table and walked out of the kitchen. They all left their weapons at home for today because they felt they wouldn't need it at the hospital anyway. Finally after a bit of stalling and grumbling from Kankuro they left the house and proceeded towards the Konoha hospital.

* * *

Sakura panted heavily. She was starting to think that training with Lee might have been a bad idea. The day before he gave her a long rundown on what he always did when he was training and it gave Sakura an all new respect for him. Apparently he always wore weights around his legs and arms. Now that wasn't really what surprised Sakura, it was the fact that Lee wore a thousand kilograms around both his legs and five hundred kilograms around his arms. (1) Even with that he did hundreds and hundreds of sit-ups, push-ups, kicked and punched a very large and heavy log a few thousand times and ran around the village a couple hundred times just for the thrill of it. Sakura blanched when she asked if she had to do the same and Lee said that she would eventually. Well not as much but still a lot.  
  
Now Sakura did expect this more or less but Lee went too far when he suggested that she would have to wear the same one piece suit he did for maximum efficiency when working out. When he saw the death glare Sakura shot him he quickly abolished that idea. He did however demand that the dress had to go. For that reason Sakura had chosen a new set of clothes this morning when she walked towards the training field were she was supposed to meet Lee for this day's training exercise. She wore a black shirt with netting that showed her arms and the area above her bust and wrapped her hands and lower arms in bandages. Her black pants were tightly wrapped around her legs like the shorts she wore before. Since she had opted to let her pink hair grow longer again she was able to put it into a single braid with a black ribbon tied around the end. There was no use in using her head protector serving as a headband anymore as she allowed her bangs to frame her face thus she tied it around her waist just like Lee.  
  
"Good morning Sakura-chan!" She heard someone shout when she approached the training field.  
  
"Good morning Lee-kun." She said and yawned. Mornings definitely didn't agree with her.  
  
Lee was about to make a remark about Sakura's attire but decided that he didn't want to push his luck too far. He had already been blessed enough to have training sessions with his dear Sakura. "Well Sakura-chan, why don't we do some warm-ups first? Let's run ten times around the field, ok?"  
  
Sakura nodded and started jogging with Lee beside her. When she got in a comfortable rhythm she looked at the boy beside her. "Lee-kun. What will we do today?"  
  
"Nothing too much Sakura-chan, it's better for you to start slow. I've got a present for you to get better more quickly though." Lee said.  
  
The pink-haired girl was excited but didn't say anything anymore until they finished their laps. When they ran around the field for the tenth time, Lee led Sakura towards the bag he had dropped near the training logs. Opening the bag he pulled out two packages and gave them to Sakura.  
  
"Wow, for me? Thank you so much Lee-kun!" Sakura said happily and hugged the now very embarrassed but happy black-haired boy.  
  
Opening the packages, Sakura discovered what seemed to be a pair of wristbands and a pair of bands that were supposed to go around her ankles. She looked puzzled for a moment but then beamed at Lee. "They're for using weights aren't they?" She said and put the bands on.  
  
Lee nodded excitedly. "Yes, Gai-sensei gave them to me so I could get stronger. We'll use the same method for you, that way your stamina will increase a lot!" He then pulled out a couple of metal bars. "These bars weigh ten kilograms each. Since I've been using heavier ones you can use the older ones I still have lying around in my house." Lee then inserted two bars into the wrist and ankle bands.  
  
Sakura was touched. Not only did Lee sacrifice his own personal time to train her, he even gave her a gift! If she didn't have these new weights dragging her down she would have hugged him again. The pink-haired girl then contented with a softly whispered thank you.  
  
Giving her the nice guy pose, Lee promised her that he would make her the strongest Kunoichi in Konoha. He then gave her a list he had made up the evening before with a list of various work-out sessions. Thanks to his years of Shinobi training though he managed to dodge the flurry of punches that were sent his way by a very angry Sakura. He didn't understand why she was so angry, two hundred sit-ups and push-ups wasn't that much was it?

* * *

A soft chiming of a bell could be heard when Shikamaru opened the door to the shop he wanted to pass by before he went to visit his best friend in the hospital. He looked around and sniffed the air, inhaling the mix of fragrances the hundreds of flowers created. Rows and rows of different kinds of flowers were stacked next to each other making the store look more like a peaceful meadow then anything. 'Ugh, why am I here anyways. Way too many damn flowers to choose from. Which one should I pick? I should've just gotten a crappy bouquet at the hospital.' Shikamaru thought and walked over to the counter, carefully avoiding a couple of buckets filled with water which were placed on the floor.  
  
When he finally reached his destination he tapped lazily on the brass bell that stood on top of the counter. "Hey, anyone here?"  
  
"Hang on; I'll be there in a minute!" A girl's voice sounded in a room in the back. After a short while the girl appeared carrying a big plant in front of her face and dumped it on the floor near the boy with the spiky ponytail. "Welcome to the Yamanaka flower shop! How can I... Oh it's you." the girl said disgruntled. "What do you want?"  
  
Shikamaru looked at the girl in front of him. She was dressed today in a snug blue dress with the kanji for the boar zodiac sign on the back and had her usual bandages covering her arms and upper legs. She tied her head protector around her waist and had stylish brown boots covering her feet. The blonde was well on her way to grow her long pony tail back after she cut it of a couple months earlier. "Yeah, hi yourself, Ino. I wanted to buy some flowers. You know, for Chouji." Said Shikamaru and put his hands in the pockets of his pants.  
  
Ino nodded. "Ok, what kind of flowers would you like?"  
  
"I dunno, it's all way too troublesome. What kind of flowers is fitting for a hospital patient anyway?" The boy grunted.  
  
"Hmmm." Frowning for a moment, the girl tapped her lips with an index finger. "Well you're best friends with Chouji so yellow daisies and a couple sunflowers would do the trick. Yellow is the color of friendship and loyalty and the daisy's and sunflowers represent freshness and rejuvenation, kind of like the sun dawning after a troubled night."  
  
"Alright, I'll take those then. Make it a big bunch y'know." Shikamaru said. Even though he normally didn't care much about what colors meant and stuff like that he decided to take Ino's advice this time.  
  
The blonde girl nodded and began arranging the flowers in a large bouquet. After she was done and handed it to Shikamaru, he gave her the money to pay for it. Turning around before he stepped out of the door he looked at the girl. "Say uh, not that I care or something but have you visited that Sasuke yet?"  
  
To his surprise, Ino scowled. "No, and I probably won't either. Sakura can have him."  
  
"Finally got over him huh?" The black-haired boy said disbelievingly.  
  
"He betrayed the leaf, I don't forgive people like that." Ino said angrily.  
  
He mentally slapped himself for going to ask this and he didn't really know why he did but he did anyway. He blinked his eyes slowly and sighed. "So, you want to go visit Chouji with me? He'll probably appreciate it. Not that he's awake or anything though."  
  
"Alright, let me close up shop and tell my mom. I'll be out in a minute." The blonde girl said and walked towards the backroom.

* * *

Hyuga Neji always considered his patience to be like an iceberg. It had a cool and uncaring exterior but hidden underneath the dark water was another huge untapped mass of it. However the last few days it was slowly but surely being whittled away to a mere ice cube. Rigorous training sessions and life threatening battles he could deal with. Even spending some time with that shy and stuttering Hinata he could deal with. But he couldn't deal with being forced to lie still on a bed for another three whole days with a roommate who unconsciously had made it a life's purpose to snore loudly at random intervals just to annoy him! He wasn't allowed to do anything except read the scrolls and books TenTen brought him and stare out the windows of the room and listen to Akimichi Chouji's snores. There was only so much boredom and annoyance the number one rookie Genin in Konoha could bear. He was therefore extremely relieved when he heard a familiar voice shouting and hearing it come closer and closer until the boy who was shouting stepped in his room with three other people. Of course he would never admit that.  
  
"Neji! How are ya! What happened to you, huh? Huh?" The boy yelled loudly.  
  
Neji smiled slightly and shook his head a bit. "Hello Naruto. What brings you here?" He purposely ignored Naruto's questions as he had no intention of reliving his fight with that six armed spider freak.  
  
"Ah you know, visiting you and Chouji with these three." Naruto said and pointed at Gaara, Temari and Kankuro.  
  
"I... See..." Neji said softly.  
  
"So uh, how are you feeling? And what's up with Chouji?" The blonde boy asked.  
  
"I'm well, I've been restricted to this bed for three more days. Chouji will probably be sleeping for a little while longer. He completely expended his chakra reserves so he needs to recover." The young man with pure aquamarine eyes said.  
  
"Whoah! Damn! Where'd all his fat go?!" Naruto yelled.  
  
"Shut up damn you!" Temari hissed and whacked Naruto on the back of his head which caused Kankuro to snicker. "We're in a hospital, keep your voice down!"  
  
"Stop hitting me you fan-using hag!" Naruto whined and rubbed his head.  
  
Sensing an all-out Naruto bashing, Neji quickly answered the blonde boy's question. "The Akimichi clan relies on its fat reserves for its clans techniques. When he fought Jiroubou he swallowed several pills which burnt off his fat in exchange for a boost in Chakra."  
  
"Jiroubou... That's the big guy with the red hair right?" Naruto asked and rubbed his head again because he received another whack to the head.  
  
"Yeah." Another person answered and entered the room.  
  
"Eeeeeeeeeek! What's that sand guy doing here, Shikamaru?!" The girl accompanying him shrieked. 'That sand guy' meaning Gaara, who merely gazed stonily at the girl who was close to hyperventilating in fear.  
  
"Relax Ino. Gaara is on our side." Shikamaru said lazily and walked over to Chouji's bed. "Hey Chouji, I know you can't hear me, but I brought you some flowers. Ino said they had some special meaning to them but I can't be bothered to remember it." With that he put the large assortment in a vase that was already half filled with water on Chouji's bedside cabinet. Chouji didn't react other than give a rather loud snore and mumble a bit in his sleep before falling silent again.  
  
Ino who had walked up to Shikamaru to stand next to him looked down at Chouji. "Wow! I never knew Chouji was this handsome!"  
  
"Pfff, don't get used to it. He needs his fat for his techniques so he'll be back to normal soon enough after he wakes up again."  
  
Naruto, being the impatient boy he was, soon started getting uncomfortable in the silence that followed. "Hey you guys, let's go back I want to decorate my room!"  
  
Shikamaru and Ino both raised their eyebrows at that but only Ino was up to questioning Naruto about it. "Your room?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah! I'm living with these three now!" Naruto said happily and grinned like the little maniac he was. "Well let's go guys!" The blonde boy said and he and the three Sand siblings walked out the room leaving behind three shocked people.  
  
"Oh wait, I'll join you later. I've got to ask them something." Temari said and walked back leaving the three boys to walk back to their house.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quickly enough. Sakura dragged her bruised, battered and let's not forget tired body to training every day with Lee. She was slowly getting used to the rigorous training routine but it would be a long time before she would wake up without any muscle aches. She had tried to beat up Lee for his idiotic behavior and grueling method of training but after the second day she just gave up, Sakura had to focus on the exercises or she would drop dead there and then out of pure exhaustion. As always when Sakura was about to give up, Lee would encourage her or bore her with long winded speeches Maito Gai, Lee's sensei, had given him, more than anything Sakura would redouble her efforts just to shut him up. So the training was a bit unorthodox, but it worked so she couldn't really complain.  
  
Naruto on the other hand was slowly getting used to his new surroundings. After living on his own for so long it was a bit odd to be living with three other people. And even though they lived in a very large house with way too much space it always seemed a bit crowded when Temari and Kankuro had their daily sibling fights. Well it was more like Kankuro screwing up one way or the other and Temari screaming insults at him or whacking him on the head with whatever was available, be it the much feared spatula, a chair or her trusty oversized fan.  
  
When Naruto left the hospital after he had visited Chouji and Neji he had purposely ignored Sasuke. He couldn't deal with seeing him and he would probably have to see Sakura sobbing all over him as well. Naruto rarely held a long grudge aside from his rivalry with Sasuke but even though he was over his silly crush he was still very angry with her. So he decided that he would focus all his efforts on giving the house his very own personal touch. Thankfully, Gaara and Temari were with him when they picked the paint colors and furniture so it didn't get out of hand. The last thing they wanted was that horrible orange that Naruto was so fond of all over the house. Kankuro didn't care at all and would have focused on tinkering with his puppets if it wasn't for his sister dragging him by the ears and forcing him to help with carrying the various pieces of furniture in the house and help with painting.  
  
It took nearly a whole week but they got the job done, Shinobi speed was useful in more ways than one it seemed. They fixed up the paintjob on the outside with the same shades of brown that it originally had and fixed up the outlying gardens, which was sped up considerably thanks to the puppets Kankuro employed. His puppets apparently weren't only suited for destruction and mayhem, they were also very useful in removing weeds and the like.  
  
While Kankuro worked his magic outside, Gaara used his sand to place the various pieces of furniture in different rooms to the directions of his sister, which changed just about every minute since she couldn't make up her mind. In the end, Gaara had enough and refused to move the furniture anymore and walked outside to probably take out his frustration on helpless little bunnies. Naruto however was given the task of painting all the walls a creamy white. With all the practice he had from his D-rank missions he did a good job and was allowed to paint his own room in the color he wished.  
  
When they were all finished only a bit of clean-up was left to do and Gaara used his very useful control of the sand to sand-polish the floor while the rest dumped out the empty paint-buckets and other junk in the big container that stood behind the back of the house. Finally when they all had finished cleaned the pieces of furniture and swept up the dust from the floor they allowed themselves a cool drink before turning in for the night.  
  
They dragged themselves up the staircase to the first floor and from there they went their separate ways to their respective bedrooms and Naruto allowed himself to fully appreciate his own bedroom. He had opted for a small bedroom much like he had before, he didn't really know why but it just seemed more comfy to him. A futon was laid out in a corner and a closet and a desk lined the wall. A couple of scrolls with techniques and posters were pinned to the now light blue painted walls and a single large window let in the pale moonlight that would shine on Naruto's face when he lay on his futon. All in all he was very pleased with his room. Taking off his clothes, Naruto fell asleep the instant lied down and his head hit the pillow.

* * *

When Naruto awoke the following morning, his muscles only slightly groaning in protest due to the previous day's activities, he felt very happy. Maybe it was because he was waking up in the room he had decorated instead of in a dusty room like the rest of the past week. But then realization hit him like a bag of bricks on top of his head, it was his birthday. He was finally thirteen, one year closer to accomplishing his dream of becoming the next Hokage. Dressing quickly he ran downstairs and burst through the kitchen door. He probably should not have expected it but it still slightly hurt when there was no one there. Naruto was about to run through the entire house to look for the three siblings when he saw a note lying on the kitchen table.  
  
_"To the hyperactive brat,  
  
Temari, Gaara and me gotta go to the Hokage's office this morning and we'll probably be there till late afternoon. Temari says that there's some food in the fridge for ya. I don't know what and I don't really care either. Gaara says you gotta go train so you'd better not be here yet when we get home but you have to be home at 7 pm.  
  
Kankuro.  
  
PS: If you touch either Kuroari or Karasu_ (2)_ I swear to whatever gods are up there, I'm going to make you suffer horribly before I end your miserable little life."_  
  
Naruto couldn't help but feel sad about them not knowing it was his birthday but he shrugged it off. If he could survive twelve years without someone giving him a gift aside from Iruka-sensei then he could make it through another one. 'Why does Gaara want me to train?' Naruto asked himself. 'Uh oh, he doesn't want to fight me again does he...?' Facing that rather frightening prospect, Naruto quickly ran out of the house and headed to the outlying forest.

* * *

He wasn't tired per se. Being the stamina freak he is, Naruto still had plenty to give when he staggered through the heavy oak doors that barred the front entrance. He had given it his all and practiced trying to summon the Rasengan quicker and with one hand, aside from a few burns on his hands that were healed quickly thanks to Kyuubi he didn't hurt himself much. Probably he would get an earful about destroying those trees back in the forest in the morning though. Cracking his neck, Naruto took of his jacket and dropped it carelessly down on the floor in the hallway, ignoring point blank the coat rack Temari had painstakingly picked out just a few days ago. He was going to go to the living room and relax on the couch for a few minutes before heading to the kitchen and make himself some instant ramen.  
  
'Are they back already?' Naruto wondered as he thought he heard a slight shuffling in the living room. Not wasting any more thoughts on it, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.  
  
**"SURPRISE!!!"  
**  
Several people popped out from behind different pieces of furniture when Naruto switched on the light and yelled while some of them set off a few party crackers which sprayed confetti all over the place.  
  
"Wha?" Said Naruto in a muffled tone as he was swept up in a tight hug which squeezed his face between two rather well developed breasts.  
  
"Happy birthday Naruto-kun!" Yelled the woman.  
  
Naruto finally extracted himself from the woman's grip and stared around in a numb disbelief. "What are you doing here Oh-ba-chan? What are all these people doing here?"  
  
"I found out that it was your birthday today, Naruto." Said Temari as she walked up to stand next to the blonde boy. "I asked some of your friends if they wanted to come. We figured you never had a birthday party before so we finalized the plans in the Hokage's office this afternoon."  
  
"Yeah, this is all way too troublesome," said Shikamaru which earned him a glare from Ino who stood next to him.  
  
"You're turning way too old bro." Konohamaru chided and his two gang members nodded their approval of their leader's assessment.  
  
Naruto couldn't believe it, he was in shock. He only woke up when Kiba walked up to him and clapped him hard on the back and his dog, Akamaru barking as if to ask Naruto what was wrong. "I'm... I'm sorry, it's just..." Naruto sniffed and tears started falling down his cheeks.  
  
"God, we go through all this trouble and the kid starts _crying_?" Kankuro yelled.  
  
"Shut up, he knew only loneliness before." Gaara said softly and stared unblinkingly at his rude brother.  
  
"No he's right." Naruto sniffed again and wiped his tears away. "Thanks, really. I'm grateful, I shouldn't cry. Let's party!"  
  
"Hold on there birthday boy, you have to open your presents first." Tsunade said and dropped a large package in front of him wrapped in nondescript brown wrapping paper.  
  
Naruto stared at it disbelievingly for a moment then tore the paper off eagerly and revealed a big wooden box. Opening it he found an assortment of new clothes. Among the many items of clothing he found a very nice black jacket with more than enough pockets for weapons and scrolls and a pair of heavy army boots.  
  
"Now that you've become a year older I thought it was about time you started dressing a bit better and stop wearing that horrible orange stuff of yours." Tsunade said happily. Although Naruto bristled a bit at the mention of 'horrible orange stuff' he appreciated the gift all the same. "Thanks Oh-ba-chan, it's a great gift" he said and hugged the older woman.  
  
"Hey there are still some others y'know." Shikamaru said in a lazy voice.  
  
"Well give it to him already!" Ino hissed and poked the black-haired boy in the back impatiently.  
  
Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." And stuffed a large and flat looking present in Naruto's hands. "Maybe when you learn how to play we can play a game together or something. He muttered and turned about face with his hands stuffed in his pockets.  
  
"That's from the both of us, happy birthday Naruto." Ino said brightly with a smile and followed her former teammate.  
  
Again the wrapping paper didn't last long and it revealed a Go board, on the two sides were two closed spaces which held the black and white Go pieces. Naruto didn't really know how to play the game but he guessed he would learn soon enough.  
  
Konohamaru and his group handed him a large bag filled with candy which he almost immediately handed back when he saw the craving look in their eyes. Kiba gave him a slightly more useful gift which was a small box which housed an assortment of Kunai and Shurikens. "Shino wanted to come as well but he had something to do. Dunno what though." He explained.  
  
Hinata shyly approached Naruto with a furious blush on her face and nearly dropped the small present she gave him when she squeaked and ran because Naruto accidentally brushed hands with her. It turned out it were several small containers with the medicinal cream Hinata had given him during the Chuunin exam some time ago.  
  
"Hey Naruto what did you do?" Two grown men said as they walked up to the blue eyed boy.  
  
"Iruka-sensei! Ero-sennin! You guys are here as well?" Shouted Naruto, clearly pleased his favorite teachers had shown up.  
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world kiddo." Jiraiya said and dumped a small bundle of what appeared to be books in Naruto's hands. "Uh, you might want to wait with opening that up until you're alone." He continued with a sly wink.  
  
"Happy birthday Naruto. Lee told me to tell you he couldn't make it but to go to him tomorrow for your present. He'll wait for you in the morning at training field four. I visited Neji at the hospital and it turns out Chouji has woken up already. They both send their congratulations as well." Iruka said and scratched his nose. "And uhm, I'm really sorry but I don't have a present for you I'm afraid but I'll take you to the Ichiraku Ramen Bar as much as you want."  
  
"You're on Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said and grinned evilly which caused Iruka to wonder slightly what he had gotten himself into.  
  
"Yo!" A voice suddenly said.  
  
"You're late!" A couple voices yelled immediately including Tsunade, Temari and Ino.  
  
"Hehe, sorry but I saw a child falling down and scraping his knee, unfortunately he was unable to talk out of shock so I had to look around town for his mother."  
  
"Liar!" Was the immediate reply from a trio of angry women.  
  
Kakashi scratched his head nervously and fixed his lazy eye on Naruto. "Here Naruto." And flipped a scroll over to the boy. "Don't open that yet, it's a technique I developed for you. If you want I could train it with you later. Also I have a surprise for you and Sakura tomorrow. So meet me on the bridge at one in the afternoon." With that he joined the others who had situated themselves on chairs and couches in the living room around the table with an assortment of snacks on it.  
  
The whole evening was spent in laughter and games. Naruto even dragged Shikamaru to a corner to try and teach him how to play Go. Sadly, Naruto wasn't exactly known for his quick uptake of things so in the end an exasperated Shikamaru told Naruto he would give him a book on rules and basic play mechanics later.  
  
For Naruto the evening passed all too quickly. It seemed that in no time at all that the party was over when Tsunade finally stood up and announced that everyone should go home and go to bed. Grumbling slightly the party dispersed and they all said goodnight to Naruto and the three Sand-nins as they left. The blonde boy still seemed on a high of happiness and thanked the three siblings for doing this for him. Kankuro grumbled and Gaara just nodded silently and started to clean up with Naruto and Temari.  
  
When they were finished the siblings walked back out in the hallway to go up the stairs and Naruto decided to stand outside on the patio for a bit and look at the sky. His spiky hair waved slightly in a soft breeze as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to inhale the cool night air.  
  
"Uhm, Naruto?" A soft female voice said behind the blond boy.  
  
Naruto swiveled around to look at the person who addressed him. "Ah, Temari. What's up?"  
  
Temari clasped her hands behind her back and looked down, shuffling her feet slightly. "Well I never got to thank you for what you for Gaara, and uhm, for me and Kankuro." Temari looked up slightly to peer intently into Naruto's eyes, sky blues meeting emerald greens, and took a step closer to the blond boy.  
  
Naruto was slightly unnerved by the intensity with which Temari looked at him and spoke up nervously. "Oh, well uhm that's alright. I mean to say, uh... It was my..." He tried to say more but was cut off as Temari took another step closer and slight bowed down so they were face to face. Startled, Naruto tried to take a small step back but was unable to do so as the most wonderful thing happened. This pretty, no this _beautiful_ girl, cupped Naruto's face to tilt it slightly upwards and then pushed her lips softly on those of the now speechless boy.  
  
Time seemed to stand still as fireworks exploded inside Naruto's head. _Never_ had he suspected that this would happen. _Never_ did he suspect that it could feel _this_ good. He softly whimpered when Temari pulled back after what seemed like ages of bliss. She looked at the blond boy with a flustered expression and a slight blush on her cheeks which was mirrored on Naruto's face as well.  
  
"Well, I-I'd better go up to my room now. T-thanks again Naruto-kun." With that the girl ran out back through the living room and into the hallway and finally hurrying up the stairs towards her bedroom.  
  
Naruto still stood outside under the stars, his mouth hanging open like a fish on dry land. He slowly lifted his hand and put his fingers on his lips, lips that just moments ago experienced the best thing that he had ever felt. In his daze he allowed himself a small smile to curve the corners of his mouth and walked up the stairs towards his own room. 'Temari...chan' was Naruto's final thought before he dropped on his futon and dreamt about a very beautiful blonde girl with an almond shaped face, sparkling emerald green eyes and very soft silky lips.

* * *

****

****

**(1): I don't really know about the weights, I just thought a ton was about enough and I added the arm weights just for kicks. :P  
  
(2): If you don't already know, Kuroari and Karasu are the two puppets Kankuro uses for his unique techniques.  
**  
_A/N: Hah! Well there it is ladies and gents. This is a pretty hefty chapter don't you think? I don't think the next one will be this long because I just seemed to keep adding scenes in this one and didn't stop. I haven't received word from my beta yet so I checked this one over myself again after I stepped away for a few hours. Hopefully you've had fun reading this.  
  
What will happen from here on out I wonder. How will Naruto and Temari act the next morning? What is the technique in that scroll Kakashi gave to Naruto? And who exactly is that mysterious girl and why did her clan get slaughtered? Find out next time :) _

_And now, onto the review response!  
  
**Moonlight's Shadow:** Yeah, it seems Naruto has more people caring about him then he thought. Sakura won't be as good as Lee but she'll be pretty powerful if she keeps this training up. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Kisu:** Squee...? Hehe, yeah Shikamaru is a lazy bum but I love the dude all the same. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Licht Sieger:** Oh I thought you meant my story not the manga. Well we don't know eh? We'll see what mister Kishimoto comes up with.  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks!  
  
**cloud:** Well your wish has been granted. And don't worry about Gaara, he's still a badass dude but he's trying to express himself a bit more emotionally now.  
  
**hyper yo yo boy:** Well I hope you didn't get bored with this chapter it just started to lead a life of its own. Thanks for the review!  
  
**refused:** Well it certainly looks like it's happening now eh? Thanks for the review!  
  
**Anime Lance:** Thanks, here it is!  
  
**Author Blitz:** I do? Thanks but I don't keep you guys waiting for that long am I? Anyway I try to update as soon as I can. :)  
  
**panuru4u:** Well I guess it's not now but don't worry it will be. I'm just a sucker for fluff and all that but there will certainly be some battles in the future.  
  
Thanks for all the reviews I really appreciate them! Oh and if you haven't reread the first three chapter yet you should since they were revised. _


	6. Of Dreams and Nightmares

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 6 – Of Dreams and Nightmares:  
**  
_"What are you doing here?" A boy with golden hair and pure sky blue eyes said as he sat alone in the dark on a swing dressed in a simple white shirt and a pair of blue baggy shorts.  
  
**"I-I don't know. Where am I?"**  
  
"_He_ doesn't like it when other people come near me you know." He said and wrapped his short chubby arm around one of the ropes of the swing.  
  
__**"Who's he?"  
**  
The boy looked down at his bare feet and started sniffling, desperate to hold his tears back. "No one likes me because of _him_. They think I'm a demon. But one day they'll like me for who I am and won't hate me anymore because of _him_."  
  
**"Please, tell me where I am."**  
  
"Can you keep a secret?" The boy said as he once again ignored the question. "A long time ago a strong man sealed _him_ inside me." He then lifted up his shirt, revealing a horrible mix of markings carved into the skin of his tiny belly.  
  
__**"Why? Why would he do that to you?"  
**  
"You're a pretty girl. Will you be my friend?" The boy said and then suddenly winced. The carved markings started to ooze deep red blood. "Oh no, _he_ knows you're here! You have to go!"  
  
The dark space suddenly pulsated with an eerie red like a sickening heartbeat. A horrible and evil rumbling laughter could be heard as a pair of glowing demonic eyes pierced the darkness and slowly came closer and closer to the boy.  
  
"Go now!" The little boy yelled  
_  
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"  
  
Temari woke up with a gasp and discovered she was drenched in cold sweat, making her night shirt cling to her frame. 'What the hell was that?' She thought and sat up, her hand clutching her forehead. Never in her whole life had she been as scared as in that dream. Not even her days with Gaara when he was still evil and uncaring came close. She didn't know exactly why but the dream had exhausted her. So when she lied back down she immediately drifted off to sleep, this time without it being disturbed by dreams or nightmares. Temari wouldn't remember the dream she had the night before when she awoke again.

* * *

Naruto was floating on air the next morning when he recalled the events that took place yesterday. All his friends came to see him on his birthday, he had received great gifts and of course... 'Temari-chan'.  
  
With a full-fledged grin appearing on his face he quickly got up from his futon and got dressed. Forgoing his usual orange outfit, he decided he'd try on some of the clothes he had received yesterday. He picked out a black shirt, dark grey khaki's, the pair of heavy army boots and the very good looking black jacket he had gotten from Tsunade. With his grin dying down to a sweet smile, he picked up the necklace the older woman had given him after the fight with Orochimaru and clasped it around his neck. Grabbing his head protector from his desk before he ran out of the room to go downstairs he tied it around his neck as well. Without the protector holding up his hair it dropped down into spiky bangs that nearly fell into his eyes.  
  
With his usual energy, Naruto barged down the stairs loudly and it had become a daily routine for Kankuro to appear from his room to start shouting at Naruto for being so noisy and of course shouting the usual threats of dismemberment and painful deaths. Therefore, the blonde boy was slightly surprised when there came none. Now on the ground floor he walked across the hallway and pushed open the kitchen door, revealing Temari humming a tune he had never heard before. Naruto was still very happy but also very nervous; this girl had kissed him the night before so he didn't really quite know what to do. 'I'd better ask Ob-ba-chan about it later. There's no way I'm going to ask that open pervert.' He thought.  
  
Naruto wasn't the only one who was nervous. With her brothers gone to meet with the other Sand teams, Temari would be alone with Naruto after the morning she had kissed him. Finishing putting a couple of fried eggs on two plates she turned around and nearly dropped the plates she was holding in surprise. In front of her stood a blonde boy with a sweet smile she had never seen before. His clothes were also very different, gone was the childish orange jumpsuit and here he was, standing in new clothes that made him seem older somehow.  
  
"Uhm, good morning Temari-chan." Naruto said and rubbed his hands nervously. Was he doing the right thing in adding 'chan'? And why was she staring at him like that? 'Oh no, did I do something wrong?' He thought, mortified. His smile faltered slightly as he sat down on one of the chairs around the kitchen table.  
  
Snapping out of her trance, Temari quickly recovered and put on a smile of her own. "Good morning Naruto-kun. I made some sushi for breakfast, I hope you don't mind." She said and put a plate in front of him and proceeded to sit on the chair across him.  
  
"N-no, not at all!" The blonde boy said and grabbed his chopsticks.  
  
In the week he had already spent in the house, Naruto had learned the common courtesy to wait with eating until the other people at the table were ready. Although the feared spatula Temari usually brandished when she was cooking might have had something to do with it.  
  
"So uhm..." They started at the same time. Both of them chuckled slightly when it happened but Naruto motioned for Temari to start first.  
  
"Uhm, Naruto-kun. I uh, about last night..." Temari said softly as she lowered her eyelashes slightly to look down at her plate.  
  
Naruto paled. "I haven't done anything wrong have I? I mean I...?" He said with fear apparent in his voice.  
  
"No, no! That's not it. I mean, it's just that I haven't kissed a boy before." Temari quickly said. In the Sand village no boy ever got close to her in fear of getting brutally slaughtered by Gaara.  
  
"Me neither. Uh I've never kissed someone before that is hehehe..." Naruto said and started fiddling with his fingers.  
  
Temari took a deep breath. Seeing that she was fifteen she probably knew a bit more about this whole romance thing then Naruto did, she just had to get this off her chest. The girl was starting to develop feelings for the blonde boy ever since he caused Gaara to be nicer and having kissed him the night before affirmed her beliefs that she really liked Naruto. And now that he sat here in front of her in new clothes that made him look a bit older then he really was... 'Not to mention a lot more handsome.' She added in her thoughts with a slight blush. "Well I thought that kiss was really nice."  
  
Visible relief was showing on Naruto's face. "Yeah it was. It was great! You guys have done so much for me already and I never expected you to kiss me yesterday." He said, slightly breathless. "We have to do it again sometime soon!" The blonde boy added. Then realizing exactly what he said, he covered his eyes and blushed furiously. "I mean, if you want to..." He finished softly and decided he should shut up before he embarrassed himself further.  
  
Temari put a hand on her lips and giggled. She was glad he liked it. But didn't that make them boyfriend and girlfriend now? She thought it best to ask. "Yes Naruto-kun I'd like that. But uhm, doesn't that make us..." She paused here for a moment. "Boyfriend and girlfriend?"  
  
The hyperactive Shinobi couldn't believe his ears. His whole life everyone had shunned him and treated him like dirt except the few people that acknowledged him. And now this very, _very_ pretty girl wanted to be his girlfriend?! Now he definitely had to go see Tsunade about this. "I... I think so... I mean I'd really like to." He said and peeked through his fingers at the girl opposite him.  
  
Just when the previous session of blushing had faded, her cheeks now positively burned. Temari nodded energetically. "Me too... A-anyway let's eat our breakfast." That said they both focused on their food and tried squashing the giddy feeling that threatened to burst forth from their stomachs. When they had finished, Temari mumbled something about going to find her brothers and jumped up from her seat. She dashed over to Naruto and pecked him on the cheek quickly and with the burning red still staining her face, grabbed her fan from the living room before running out the front door as quickly as she could.  
  
Naruto sat silently for a moment and touched his cheek softly with his hand. He then stood up to clean up the table and washed the plates and pans that were used this morning. Unable to control the wave of emotions in his body any longer he stood still a moment before a loud shout echoed throughout the entire house.  
  
**"WHOOHOO!!!"****

* * *

**  
As she was walking towards the training field where she would begin her daily training routine with Lee, Sakura couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself. Three days ago, Ino had asked her if she wanted to come to Naruto's birthday party they arranged yesterday. She declined and had to endure a whole hour of questioning before Ino backed off and left her alone. Sakura knew why exactly why she had declined, she couldn't face him yet. After training a whole week with Lee and not thinking about Sasuke anymore, she realized just how much of a jerk she had been to her teammate Naruto. 'If there still is a team 7 that is.' She thought bitterly. The pink-haired Kunoichi still had to thank him, she just didn't know how to tell him that though. 'Thanks for bringing him back but I'm over him so it doesn't really matter anymore?' Forcefully stopping this train of thought, she figured she would think about it later and would focus on the training today.  
  
When she arrived at training field four, she saw Lee already going at it with the large training logs in the center of the field. 'Wow, Lee-kun is really dedicated.' She thought and smiled. "Good morning Lee-kun!" She yelled as she cupped her hands in front of her mouth for effect.  
  
Lee stopped punching and kicking the log and looked at Sakura. "Hey, Sakura- chan. You're a bit late." He said with a small smile.  
  
"You know I don't wake up properly until a few hours after I get out of bed Lee-kun" She whined and took off her jacket. She would get warmer due to the exercises in the rapidly cooling air as winter drew ever closer.  
  
A comfortable ritual had been developed between the two of them. Lee didn't drool over the love of his life anymore and Sakura didn't try to beat him to a pulp when he suggested outrageous numbers of exercises.  
  
"It's time to add more weights, Sakura-chan." Lee said and grabbed a few metal bars out of the bag he dragged out to the field every morning. He had explained to Sakura that every week from the moment they had started, that he would increase the weights by five kilograms to Sakura's wrist and ankle bands. He also decided that Sakura should focus more on daring acrobatics to avoid damage from enemies instead of speed and taking blows like he did himself. Therefore it came as no surprise to Sakura that he ordered her to do fifty back flips after the usual sit-ups and push-ups from a standing still position and then he would throw small marbles for her to dodge.  
  
Sakura was halfway through the back flips when a cold voice stopped her in her tracks. "What is Sakura doing here, thick brows?"  
  
"Ah! Good morning Naruto-kun!" Lee said cheerily as he looked up at the blonde boy from the log he was kicking just now. "Sakura-chan asked me to train her so she could become stronger."  
  
"Hmmph, whatever. What did you want?"  
  
"Well I'm sorry I couldn't make it yesterday." Said Lee as he rummaged through his bag and pulled out a somewhat large pouch. "Happy birthday, Naruto-kun. They're wrist and ankle bands to put weights in. I've put some metal bars in there as well for you to put in." He added and threw the pouch to the blonde boy.  
  
Naruto 'oofed' when he caught it and nearly fell down on his behind due to the weight. "Thanks Lee-san, but shit, how much do these things weigh?!"  
  
"Only twenty five kilograms each, so in total one hundred kilograms." Lee explained. "When you've gotten used to them you can give them back to me and I'll give you heavier ones."  
  
Sakura watched the exchange with slight disbelief. Not that Naruto was beginning with heavier weights than her, but it was the outfit he wore. 'Wow' was the only thing she could think of. Finally regaining her senses, she figured she'd better congratulate him but stopped when he glared at her.  
  
"Kakashi-sensei wants us to meet on the bridge at one pm, Sakura." He sneered. "Be there or not, I don't care. Bye Lee-san and thanks again for the gift, I appreciate it. It's sure to help me in my training." With that said he turned around and walked away.  
  
Noticing the lack of the 'chan' he normally added to her name, Sakura slightly panicked, that is until Lee asked her if anything happened between the two of them. She shook her head and said that they should get back to their training.

* * *

Why wouldn't she leave him the hell alone? He only asked her to visit Chouji with him once. Girls were nothing but troublesome things to him. He should have told her that he wanted to go alone today. But at least she was useful as a mule to carry all the bags of chips and other snacks to the room Chouji used to share with Neji. But she just had to walk back with him when they left again. When he sighed softly at that he received a sharp poke to the head.  
  
"What is it now Shika-kun?"  
  
'What the? Shika-kun? My name is Shikamaru, woman!' Shikamaru thought angrily but wasn't up to voicing his thoughts so he muttered a soft 'nothing' instead.  
  
Ino however looked at him shrewdly. "Yeah right."  
  
"Just drop it already, its way too troublesome." He said lazily and closed his eyes.  
  
Shikamaru was glad when he could finally drop her off at the flower shop Ino's family owned. After a quick goodbye he strolled at a leisurely pace to his usual spot to lie down and look at the clouds. 'Women are way too troublesome...' Was his final thought before he let his mind go blissfully blank as it tried to discern the different shapes the clouds were today.

* * *

"Do you always make them wait this long, Kakashi-sensei?" A white-haired girl with silver eyes asked as she stood by her new sensei and temporary roommate.  
  
"Usually." The Jounin answered.  
  
"Why?" The girl asked again.  
  
"It allows me to see if there are any problems in the team and I can deal with it better after I've analyzed it. But mostly it's because it's fun." Kakashi said as he looked at two figures standing with their backs to each other on a large wooden bridge. "Well, we've made them wait long enough, let's go and introduce you to them."  
  
The girl just nodded and disappeared with her sensei only to reappear seconds later next to the two figures.

* * *

Naruto was royally pissed off. It was bad enough that Sakura didn't show up at his party or congratulate him this morning when he told her to come here on the bridge. But now the happy state of mind with which he had left his house this morning disappeared even further as he was forced to wait here in very uncomfortable silence with the girl as their sensei was late as usual. He would definitely give him a piece of his mind when he would finally show up.  
  
"Yo!"  
  
There it was. That _annoying_ 'Yo!' "You're late you bastard!!!" Naruto yelled as he glared at his silver-haired sensei. He was so caught up in his rage he didn't notice the girl standing next to Kakashi and the shocked look Sakura gave him. "Show up on time for once damnit!"  
  
Kakashi, seemingly unfazed by the sudden outburst of his student, coughed. "Sorry, there was a cat that was about to deliver a litter of kittens. I had to help."  
  
"AAARGH!" Naruto shouted and flailed his arms widely in frustration. "Stop making stupid excuses!"  
  
"Anyway..." The silver-haired Jounin continued as if nothing happened. "...Sakura, Naruto. I want you to meet your new teammate."  
  
"What? What about Sasuke?" Sakura asked in slight alarm.  
  
'Figures. She would only think about that idiot.' Naruto thought bitterly as his anger died down slightly and glared at his former crush.  
  
"He has been dismissed from Shinobi duties for the time being for reasons I'm sure you two are aware of." Kakashi said and pushed the girl standing next to him forward.  
  
"H-hello. M-my name is Mikadzuki Kumiko." The girl said as she introduced herself with a low bow. Kumiko wore a black tank top and a stylish light blue jacket that was zipped open in the front and had a white half moon symbol on the back. She wore standard black open-toed Shinobi sandals and a pair of tight fitting light blue pants that came down to just below the knees which showed her bandaged lower legs. Her whole left arm and hand was also bandaged and her right hand was in a fingerless glove. She focused her silvery eyes on Naruto and Sakura for a few moments before she started wrapping her long smooth white hair around her left index finger nervously.  
  
'Heh, at least she's way better looking than that bastard, Sasuke.' Naruto thought and grinned. He walked up to the girl and held out his hand for her to shake. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I'll be the next Hokage one day so don't you forget it!"  
  
Kumiko shook the blonde boy's hand eagerly. "Pleased to meet you." She said and beamed at him.  
  
Sakura also stepped towards the new girl and bowed. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I hope we'll become good friends." She said politely and smiled gently at Kumiko.  
  
The white-haired girl returned the smile and bow. "I hope so too."  
  
"Well, now that that is taken care of, Kumiko and I need to go. We have some business to attend to." Kakashi said and put a hand on the girl's shoulder. With a final goodbye, both of them disappeared in a blur, leaving behind a slightly puzzled Naruto and Sakura.  
  
Both of them figured Kumiko was nice enough and thought they would probably get to know her a bit better later. When they finished thinking about the new addition to their team they both looked at each other.  
  
"Naruto I want to talk to you." Sakura quickly said as she saw the look Naruto was sending her.  
  
"What about, your precious Sasuke-kun?" Naturo spat. He was fed up with it; he would no longer stand for Sakura mooning over someone who didn't deserve it. Heck, the little traitor didn't even deserve to wipe dog shit off of Naruto's new army boots as far as he was concerned.  
  
Sakura herself was also getting angry and her inner self shouted out some rather colorful insults at the expense of the blonde Genin. She planted herself on the railing of the bridge they stood on with forced calm and motioned for Naruto to do the same. He grudgingly sat down next to her and scowled at the sun which was setting earlier and earlier every day.  
  
"No." She started through clenched teeth. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing him back and to congratulate you."  
  
"Whatever." Naruto said shortly, though he was surprised that Sakura would tell him this now. To his horror Sakura started crying and if there was one thing Naruto didn't know how to deal with, it was girls crying. "What the..."  
  
"I don't l-love Sasuke anymore, Naruto." She sobbed and let her tears fall down and stain her pants as they were absorbed by the black skintight clothing. "I r-realized it when I v-v-visited him the day a-after y-you brought him back."  
  
The blonde boy was in shock. Sakura didn't love Sasuke anymore? Did that mean he had a chance again? 'No you idiot, you've got a girlfriend already' He thought and smiled inwardly at the thought of Temari. But seeing the girl next to him crying herself hoarse he did the only thing that made sense at the time. Sakura startled slightly when Naruto wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the pink-haired Kunoichi and planted a soft kiss on her slightly large forehead. She quickly threw her own arms around him and bawled as the emotions she bottled up lately all came bursting out.  
  
When Sakura's body finally stopped shaking, Naruto put a hand under her chin and forced her to look up. He gazed at her tear blotched face and finally into her watery green eyes. "Sakura-chan." He said and Sakura smiled slightly at the return of the 'chan' at the end of her name. "I'm sorry, it must hurt. I know what it's like because I've also stopped liking you that way." He continued and gave her a gentle smile.  
  
Another small sob escaped Sakura's lips and Naruto wiped away the couple of tears that once again rolled down her face with his thumbs. "I still like you, but I don't have a crush on you anymore. I've got a girlfriend now, y'know."  
  
When he said that, the pink-haired girl's eyes widened slightly. Naruto has a girlfriend?' She thought but Naruto stopped any further thinking when he spoke up again.  
  
"I'm really sorry about the way I treated you. I thought you still liked Sasuke. But I want to make it up to you. So... Friends?" He asked.  
  
"Friends." Sakura affirmed with a slight nod and smile. Naruto then wrapped an arm around Sakura's shoulders as she wrapped an arm of her own around his waist and they both stared at the sunset, relieved that they talked things out and hoping that a strong friendship would bloom forth from failed childish crushes.

* * *

_A/N: Wow! I'm really happy with the way this chapter turned out. I had to rewrite the first dream sequence a couple times though since I first decided to write it wholly in third person. I scratched that idea and thought up the thing as it is now, I hope you all like it.  
  
Now I have a question for you all. Would you like me to make a chapter about what happened when Gaara, Kankuro and Temari returned to their village and why Baki didn't come to Konoha with them? If you do decide you want it please leave a review (I don't want to post it when no-one would like it) and I'll post it after the next chapter.  
  
Now in the next chapter: The three Sand siblings will find out that not everyone in Konoha is happy with their arrival. Naruto will go after Kakashi with the scroll he received from him and TenTen makes an appearance? Also there might be a little more interaction between Shikamaru and Ino.  
  
I don't know if you guys ever watch AMV's (Anime Music Videos) but there are two good ones for Naruto which I suggest you look at. They can be found on animemusicvideos.org (add the www. and yes you have to register and use the super search function)  
  
Look for the ones using the songs; Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit (entitled: Breaking the Habit by peeweek) And SR-71 – Goodbye (entitled: Toushi by MajinKenshinAMV)  
  
Oh, I decided to add the songs that helped me create the chapter. I guess I'll do it for the next chapters as well. (And no, I'm not a Linkin Park fan boy. They just make good music and have good lyrics I think)  
  
**Allison Krauss – It Doesn't Matter   
Linkin Park – Dedicated (demo '99)   
Linkin Park – Carousel   
Farmer Boys – Once and For All  
**  
Now finally on to the review response!  
  
**MC-88:** Yep it would seem so. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Licht Sieger:** Don't worry about it, I'm easily confused :P Thanks for the review!  
  
**element4life:** Thanks. Although I haven't used your title suggestion I appreciate it all the same.  
  
**kashisenshey:** Your question should have already been answered if you read this chapter. :) Thanks for the review!  
  
**CanalVorfeed1:** Thanks for the kind words. Though you won't have to worry about the OC I added. She will however be the link for the sequel I plan to write.  
  
**weirddramagirl:** Who knows...? (insert evil laughter here) Anyway thanks for the review!  
  
**Grand Admiral Gin:** Well undoubtedly Shino will make an appearance later on; he might even make it to the next chapter just for you. :) I don't know about the future though since this fix is more focused on Naruto, Temari and the OC.  
  
**refused:** Hehehe, I'm glad you like it, thanks for the review!  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks as always!  
  
**Rei:** Thanks, you really think so? And Sasuke will wake up but who knows what he'll do...  
  
**Karibanu:** Yeah one kiss doesn't make a relationship, but then again I went steady for a while with a girl who was 14 when I was 12 once so... Well at least it won't be a serious relationship, I mean they won't have sex right of the bat now eh? Thanks for the review!  
  
**Ramen Fox Boy:** Hmmm... Well I had something like that in mind but I scrapped it, something like it will most probably happen when Naruto gets older in my fic though. Thanks for the review!  
  
**omnidragon82:** Thanks! :D  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Thanks for the many reviews! I might put a little spoof about Chouji being chased by a couple of girls in the next chapter :P  
  
Well that's it, don't forget to review and let me know about that chapter I might add. If you see any errors I might have overlooked please let me know. _


	7. Consequences

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 7 – Consequences:**  
  
"What in the hell are you smiling about?" Was the greeting Naruto received when he sat down on the couch opposite Kankuro.  
  
After making sure Sakura got home safely he went back to the house he now shared with the three Sand siblings. Things were good as far as the blonde boy was concerned. Not even the sight of a disgusted 'puppet-using good for nothing fatass', as Naruto lovingly called Kankuro, could spoil his mood. He had gotten himself a girlfriend this morning and got back on good terms with a certain pink-haired Kunoichi. Yep, things were definitely on a roll.  
  
Grinning broadly, Naruto looked at the brother of his new girlfriend. 'Oh man that is so gonna piss him off' He thought and his grin got even larger if that were possible.  
  
Now, Kankuro was used to the horrors of battle; chopped off limbs and gore splattering on his black ensemble didn't faze him much. But the grinning Genin who sat in front of him disturbed him greatly on a whole new level. "Stop looking at me like that damnit!" He shouted, desperate for Naruto to stop that icky grinning of his.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know doll-boy." Said a very amused Naruto and watched Kankuro scrunch up his face in barely suppressed rage. With that said he got up and hopped merrily to the staircase and up to his room. When he heard a loud roar downstairs he quickly opened the door, stepped in his room and closed it. Standing still for a few seconds he finally couldn't control himself any longer and dropped on the floor laughing. He clutched his sides and rolled over the floor as tears of mirth appeared in the corners of his eyes. Bumping in the desk that stood in his room something fell down and hit him squarely in the forehead. "Ow!" He cried out and got up rubbing the now sore spot of his head. Naruto looked down at what had hit him and picked it up. It was the scroll his sensei had given him the night before.  
  
Opening the scroll he saw the technique Kakashi had developed for him. The blonde boy blanched as he read it and felt his happiness leave him like someone pulled a stopper in his stomach to let it all drain away. He nearly dropped the scroll when he heard someone knocking softly on his door. Thinking quickly, he rolled the scroll back up and threw it in one of the drawers of his desk. "Y-yes come in!" Naruto said a little shakily and tried to look innocent. The door opened and revealed a smiling Temari. "You shouldn't make him so mad you know. What did you do to him anyway?" She had heard Naruto come home and the roar of her brother but decided to wait to say hello until her new boyfriend was inside his room next to her own.  
  
"Oh! Well I didn't do anything. He just wanted to know something but I didn't tell him." The blonde boy answered and stepped aside to allow her entry to his room.  
  
"You won't be hurt when I say I don't believe you, right?" Temari said as she looked around at Naruto's bedroom.  
  
"Hehe, not at all. But it's the truth though." Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head. "So what's up?"  
  
The sandy-haired girl turned on her heels and looked slightly downwards at Naruto as he was slightly smaller in stature. "Well I know it sounds silly but I kind of missed you."  
  
The blue-eyed boy blushed as the full realization of his current situation dawned on him. A _girl_ in his _bedroom_. His _girlfriend_ in his _bedroom_ and she said she had _missed_ him. His still developing hormones raged and planted several scenarios in his mind that his perverted white-haired sensei would gladly to put in his books. "I... uh, missed you too." He croaked and nervously clasped his now clammy hands in front of him while he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.  
  
"Good." Temari said simply and before her boyfriend could figure out what she had meant by that she grabbed his face and pushed her lips on his.  
  
Naruto's knees turned to jelly as the absolutely wonderful kiss went on for ages and ages. When the new object of his total and utter affection finally pulled back he was only able to make odd gurgling sounds. "Gurrr... Gah... Whoo...?" He then blinked stupidly several times as his mouth tried to form a coherent response.  
  
Feeling quite pleased with herself, Temari grinned. "Good night Naruto- kun." She then gave him another soft kiss on the lips and left his room, leaving behind a bewildered boy whose mind had shut down and wouldn't work properly until a full hour later when night had fully taken over.

* * *

"Shikamaru, get up this instant!" A woman shouted through a door and banged her fist forcefully on it.  
  
Startled awake, the black-haired Chuunin fell out of bed and landed harshly on the floor with his head while his legs were still entangled in his bed sheets. He frowned at the door upside down through half opened eyes for a moment and allowed his brain to start the thinking process. 'What the hell did I do now?'

Before he could answer that question, the woman shouted again. "Get your lazy butt out of bed right now or I'll drag you down the stairs by your hair and show your underwear to your girlfriend!"  
  
'GIRLFRIEND?!' Shikamaru thought panicked and picked himself up from the floor quickly. "I'll be right there, jeez!" As he got dressed and washed up haphazardly he had only one thought on his mind, who in the world was downstairs and had the gall to call herself his girlfriend? Stomping out of his room and down the stairs into the living room moodily he got his answer.  
  
"Now I know why you always pull your hair into a ponytail, Shika-kun" A familiar female voice giggled.  
  
Grabbing his hair and roughly bundling it on the top of his head, he growled with a pink tinge on his face. "Stop laughing damnit!" This earned him a hard whack over the head from his mother as she lectured him on cursing in her household. He should have known who the visitor was though. It was... "Ino, who the hell told you that you were my girlfriend?" Shikamaru said and winced as his mother once again whacked him on the head and glared at him.  
  
"I didn't say that." Ino said and had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.  
  
"Oh sorry dear, that's my fault. I thought you were. You'll be staying for lunch, won't you?" Shikamaru's mother said airily, apparently not aware of the embarrassment she had caused.  
  
"I'd love to ma'am." The blonde girl said to quickly steer away from the subject of girlfriends. But deep down she had to admit that girlfriend didn't sound all that bad when she looked sideways at the grumpy looking Chuunin.  
  
After a hearty meal which consisted mainly of dumplings and a steaming bowl of miso-soup, Ino and Shikamaru found themselves near a field lined with high fences where the Nara clan raised and cared for their deer.  
  
Coughing slightly, Shikamaru broke the silence. "So what do you want?"  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you could tell me about what happened when you were all sent to retrieve Sasuke?" Ino asked and looked off into the distance at nothing in particular.  
  
The black-haired Chuunin sighed and fed a sugar cube that he had fished out of one of his pockets to a deer with huge antlers that had approached them silently. "Not much to tell. Me, Chouji, Neji, Kiba and Lee got beaten up but we managed to beat those Sound creeps with the help from the Sand trio. Naruto roughed up Sasuke pretty bad and that's it." He said and threw his head backwards so he could look up at the sky.  
  
"You got beaten up too?" Ino asked him disbelievingly.

"Well that crazy bitch I fought used some freaky summons which I managed to take over with my shadow manipulation but then she used some sort of Genjutsu so I had to break my own finger. In the end I got saved by that _girl_ with that dumb oversized fan of hers." Shikamaru answered, still a bit angry that a girl of all things had saved him.  
  
Ino gasped. "You broke your own finger?" And grabbed Shikamaru's hands to inspect them. "It doesn't hurt anymore does it?"  
  
"No of course not." The lazy Chuunin said and tried to pull his hands away but Ino held them in place with a firm grip. Still, her hands felt kind of good and soft. 'For a girl anyway.' He thought and looked down at the small perfectly manicured hands holding his own slightly larger ones.  
  
"You know, I never got the chance to thank you..." Ino said softly and trailed a delicate finger down Shikamaru's calloused palm and looked up to stare in to his eyes.  
  
Seeing those sparkling warm blue eyes look into his own dark brown ones he was slightly unsure of what to say. "Why would you thank me?" He asked and a faint red started to stain both their cheeks.  
  
Yamanaka Ino never got to answer that question as a boy with spiky brown hair and a blue scarf around his neck came running and screaming past them. The two of them quickly took a step back from each other and saw a group of girls shrieking 'Chouji-kun, wait!!!' as they rampaged in the direction the screaming boy was headed, leaving behind a cloud of dust. Ino giggled and Shikamaru scowled.  
  
"It seems Chouji has his own fan club now, doesn't it Shika-kun?" Ino said and giggled yet again.  
  
The Chuunin scoffed. "I told him to end his fight with that Sound-nin without using the last pill. Bah this is too troublesome. Come on, we'd better check if he needs help."

* * *

While another couple was chasing after a certain screaming boy, Sakura was quite literally flying through the air with her back bent backwards in a graceful arch. Only to impact the dirt a few seconds later with a loud and sickening thud. She grunted and ever so slowly picked herself up from the ground to stand shakily on her legs. Wiping the blood that trickled out of the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand and wincing from the various bruises on her body that were undoubtedly going to be very sore in the morning, she glared at the figure that had sent her flying. It was not that he hurt her, oh no. It was that he started to panic and running over to make sure she was ok. She felt herself getting extremely angry. She was sick and tired of people treating her like a fragile little glass ornament that would shatter at the merest touch.  
  
'Damnit'  
  
"Sakura-chan! I'm so sorry! Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" Lee shouted as the questions came rolling out of his mouth like a never ending waterfall, not giving the pink-haired Kunoichi a chance to answer.  
  
"Lee-kun! Be quiet!" She yelled angrily and inwardly sighed when the boy with the extremely fuzzy eyebrows cowered in front of her.  
  
Today they both had decided that they would have a sparring session and Sakura held herself pretty well. Only Lee went a little overboard when he kicked Sakura hard under the chin. The stamina training from the past week had really paid off for Sakura but she was still absolutely no match for Lee when it came to Taijutsu.  
  
As the black-haired Genin saw the blazing fire in the eyes of his crush he stopped cowering. Sakura didn't want any babying and that made him proud. If he was going to do everything in his power to get stronger himself, why wouldn't she? He stood up and put his left hand behind his back while his right hand was stretched forward in his standard battle-pose.  
  
"Let's try this again, Sakura-chan." Lee said and smiled at the trembling but determined figure in front of him.

* * *

"Traitors!"  
  
"Go back to your own home!"  
  
"Murderers!"  
  
"My friend got killed because of you bastards!"  
  
"Just ignore them." A boy who was carrying a large gourd on his back said to his brother and sister. They were just walking down a small market place back from another meeting with the other teams from the Hidden Sand, when they were surrounded by an ever growing mob of people. Trying not to provoke any attacks, they stood silently in the middle of a jeering crowd as they shouted insults at the three siblings.  
  
"You'll pay you brats!" A young man with black hair yelled and threw a rock he had picked up seconds before at the siblings. It struck Temari hard on the side of her head with a loud crunch. She looked confused for a moment and then fell down on the ground unconscious as a small trickle of blood ran down her left temple. Kankuro had fights with her all the time but he loved his sister very much even though he would never say that to her face. Snarling and cursing he hovered over her to check if she was alright.  
  
Gaara's eyes blazed for a brief moment, before they locked on the man who had hurt his sister. Walking up to him, Gaara summoned his sand to gather around the arm the man used to throw the rock. "Sabaku Kyuu (Desert Coffin).You will never use that arm again." With that statement he lifted an outstretched hand and squeezed it into a fist. "Sabaku Sousou (Desert Graveyard)." The man screamed in agony as the sand compressed and obliterated muscles and bones alike staining the ground with crimson blood that spewed forth.  
  
The crowd erupted into a fit of panic as they saw this gruesome scene unfold in front of them and ran in all directions to get away from the two brothers that would have no qualms about killing them in an instant.  
  
Beating down the killer instinct of the raccoon demon, Shukaku, inside him, Gaara was still itching to finish the job. He wanted to turn the man who had hurt his sister into a puddle of goo as he sat there whimpering and clutching the mangled and bloody piece of flesh that used to be his right arm.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that." A voice suddenly said.  
  
"You!" Kankuro said from behind his little brother. "You're that bug using freak!"  
  
"My name is Aburame Shino." The boy said calmly from the rooftop he was sitting on. He jumped down and crouched in front of the rock throwing offender and turned to look at the two brothers through his sunglasses that covered his eyes. He still wore his oversized gray jacket with the high collar that covered half his face, the standard open-toed sandals and grey slacks. "I'll have to report this to the Hokage."  
  
Gaara nodded, his face devoid of any emotion once again. He motioned his brother to pick up their sister. "If someone hurts her again, I'll kill them." That said he walked away with Kankuro close behind as he carried Temari in his arms.  
  
A soft sobbing caught Shino's attention and he looked down. "You shouldn't have done that either." He said and helped the man stagger towards the hospital where it undoubtedly would be amputated.

* * *

"Neji!" A girl yelled with two black buns bobbing dangerously on the top of her head as she ran towards a boy with pupil-less aquamarine eyes.  
  
"What is it Tenten?" Neji said. He might have loosened up a little but he was still the haughty bastard as ever. He didn't consider anyone that couldn't hold their own in battle worthy of his respect. He looked at his teammate who wore her usual pink Chinese styled vest, black pants that ended just below the knees and her feet that were in open sandals with two straps.  
  
"Did you hear what happened?" Tenten said, slightly breathless.  
  
Neji's eyes narrowed in slight annoyance. "Hear what?"  
  
"The Genin team that the Hidden Sand sent to help us was attacked by the villagers. But that red-haired guy who fought Lee managed to scare them off when he crushed some guy's arm." The black-haired girl said.  
  
"Gaara."  
  
Tenten continued. "Yeah. It seems the girl I fought in the Chuunin exam got a concussion when a rock hit her in the head. Gaara was reprimanded but Hokage-sama is going to punish the villagers that attacked them."  
  
"The villagers are like a herd of cattle. Easily scared, dumb as the back end of a pig and to make it worse they hold grudges like no other." The Hyuga said contemptuously.  
  
Tenten giggled. "I also heard that Naruto went ballistic when he heard. I wonder what's up with him."  
  
"He lives with them in one house." Neji explained.  
  
"Really? I didn't know." The weapons specialist frowned. "Well I have to go and run some errands for my mother. Bye Neji!" She said and smiled at her teammate and ran towards one shop or another.  
  
"Bye." Neji muttered. He was lost in thought as he wondered why Naruto would get so upset from that girl getting injured.

* * *

When Kakashi walked onto training field four he could feel a palpable presence of powerful chakra emanating from the center of the field. He saw Naruto beating the heavy training logs to cinders with his fists while he was encircled by a raging hurricane of red chakra. 'I guess he heard about Temari.' The silver-haired Jounin thought. He wasn't worried that Kyuubi would escape since he had heard that the blonde boy had controlled its power during his fight against Neji and Gaara and of course when he went after Sasuke. 'Not to mention he's too pigheaded to be controlled by the demon fox.' He continued in his mind and smiled beneath his mask.  
  
When the Jounin came closer, Naruto turned to his teacher with burning red slitted eyes. He could feel the fury the boy radiated like a liquid heat wave that splashed against him like an ocean would against a jagged shoreline. "Yo." He said simply.  
  
"What are you doing here Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto said in a feral growl.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you, that's all." Kakashi said and squatted on his heels.

The blonde boy resumed his beating of the log. "I'm busy right now sensei!"  
  
Kakashi shrugged. "No use in getting angry, Gaara already made sure the guy lost the arm with which he threw the rock with."  
  
"Well I'm going to rip off the other arm and strangle him with it." Naruto said and with a punch enhanced with red chakra he reduced the poor log he was targeting to splinters.  
  
"That would be a bad idea." The Jounin said, clearly amused.  
  
"I don't care." Naruto said dejectedly and sat down next to his teacher, his eyes returning to normal and panted heavily.  
  
Kakashi closed his visible eye in a happy crinkle. "But your girlfriend would." He said which earned him a hard shove from the younger boy.  
  
Propping himself on his elbows as he laid back, Naruto sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"  
  
"Have you read the scroll I gave you for your birthday?" Was the reply.  
  
"Yeah I have, what's the big idea with it anyway?! Can't you develop something that I can do on my own?" The blonde boy snapped.  
  
"Don't be an idiot, if he's in your body he might as well make himself useful." Kakashi explained. "If you develop techniques using Kyuubi's chakra you can become even more powerful."  
  
"I'd rather be strong using my own chakra..." Naruto whined.  
  
"Look. You have a crazy amount of stamina. With Oni no Kiba no Jutsu (Demon Fang Technique) you'll be able to use that more efficiently." The older man said. (1)  
  
"But I've never fought with a katana. How am I going to learn?" Naruto said, still resisting slightly.  
  
The silver-haired Jounin ruffled Naruto's hair and looked up to the sky where the stars were twinkling merrily down at the two of them. "That's up to Kumiko. Every member of her clan learned how to be a master of swordplay at a young age. Her training wasn't completed but she is by far the most skilled in the use of swords than anyone here in Konoha."  
  
Naruto looked quizzically at his sensei for a moment. "Wasn't completed? Why not?"  
  
"That's up to her to tell you if she decides to." Kakashi said and stood up. He brushed off the back of his pants to remove several blades of grass that clung stubbornly to the black fabric. "Think about it." He said and disappeared in a small cloud of smoke.  
  
Naruto found himself in a dilemma. On one hand he didn't want use Kyuubi's Chakra simply because he didn't like that overgrown fur ball but on the other hand he did want to become stronger. As he covered the various pro's and cons in his mind, he headed home. He would decide later because right now there was a certain girl that he wanted to take care of.

* * *

_****_

_**(1): Oni no Kiba no Jutsu (Demon Fang Technique):**  
  
Calling upon the Kyuubi Chakra, Naruto is able to make a four foot (121,92 centimeters) long katana. Due to it being created out of chakra alone, Naruto can make it as sharp or blunt as he wants at will. Its distinct feature is that it is a translucent red blade which looks like it's dripping crimson flames.  
  
Songs that helped me during writing of this chapter:  
  
**Ah! My Goddess - The Movie OST – Try to Wish  
Kittie - Brackish  
Slipknot – Duality**  
  
(Cool mix of songs eh?)  
  
A/N: Well here's another chapter for you all. I hope you enjoyed it. I had a bit of difficulty here and there but it all worked out in the end. I'm pleased to announce that I have a new beta-reader. His nickname on ff.net is: "refused!" Hopefully with his help I'll be able to make this fic the best it can be. He is also currently creating his own fic which I'll be beta-ing for him and I've already read the prologue and the partly finished first chapter. I promise you it'll blow your minds!  
  
Well it seems that you guys would like a flashback of sorts on what happened when our three favorite siblings returned to the Hidden Sand. So the next chapter will be mainly about that.  
  
On to the review response!  
  
**kashisenshey:** Thanks for the kind words but uhm, go easy on the caps next time eh? ;)  
  
**Ice Dragon XXI:** Well it won't go past a few kisses while they're still young but I promise it will become quite a bit more when they get older (no, I don't exactly plan on writing up exactly what they are doing, I don't do smut :P) Thanks for the review!  
  
**Licht Sieger:** Hehe, don't we all at one point?  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks!  
  
**weirddramagirl:** I will in the next chapter, thanks for the review!  
  
**Grand Admiral Gin:** Well here it is, I know it's a bit short but I'm sure he'll show up again in later chapters. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Karibanu:** Yeah let's just say I was terribly cute when I still had a mad bush of red curls. :P Anyway I might rewrite the conversation to last a bit longer but I had to remove the hostility between them for later purposes. Let's just say, Sakura wants to find out who the girlfriend is and things won't be pretty. (No she still isn't interested in Naruto that way and never will)  
  
**Rygura:** Yeah I thought so too. I love this pairing for some reason. Thanks for the review!  
  
**omnidragon82:** Heh, thanks!  
  
**narusakuwooo:** Thanks, I'm glad you like it. :)  
  
**MC-88:** Oh I don't know if they'll be too pleased, especially Kankuro. Thanks for the review!  
  
**babowonsuni:** No she doesn't like him that way and she never will probably. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Hehehe, wouldn't that be something? Thanks for the review!  
  
**Crimson-Strike:** Kankuro finding out? Be afraid, be very afraid! Thanks for the review!  
  
**Sirus183:** He will eventually. The basis has already been laid out in this chapter. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Kirin Kage the Shadow Girl:** Haha, sorry. ;) No don't worry, Sasuke will be anything than weak later on.  
  
**d-scribe:** Uhm yeah, thanks. I'm not trying to be picky I just want someone whom I can also use to think of new ideas. Thankfully I've already found such a person. Give me your email address and I'll send you a list.  
  
**Kaiyu Onibaba:** Thank you. Hopefully I've updates soon enough for you. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Xaerox:** Thanks, hopefully I will. ;)  
  
Well there you have it, another chapter gone by. Thanks for all the reviews, as always I really appreciate them and hopefully another bunch will be here when I finish the next chapter ;) _


	8. Memories

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 8 – Memories:**  
  
Gaara sat in his room after being relieved by Naruto from his bedside watch over his sister. He was no fool, he knew what was going on between the two of them. He saw the shocked look on Naruto's face when he came home and saw Temari with a small strip of bandage around her head. He also saw that same shocked look turn into absolute rage and killer intent as the blonde boy ran out of the house to go somewhere and blow off some steam. He also noticed the odd glow that had started emanating from his sister ever since the day after Naruto's birthday party. No, Gaara was no fool, but he would rip off the boy's head if he hurt Temari in any way whatsoever.  
  
**"You've done well today."** A voice cooed  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gaara asked. He knew who was talking. It was the source of the torture he faced in his mind every day. But the torture had lessened a great deal ever since he had been beaten by a certain blonde Genin. Ever since he had realized there was more than mindless slaughtering.  
  
**"Such delicious anger. Why did you stop? You know you wanted to continue."** The voice said.  
  
"Yes I did."  
  
**"Then why didn't you?"** The voice asked.  
  
"Because it would make others sad."  
  
**"You don't care about that! They need to learn to fear you again, to fear... Us!"** The voice roared.  
  
"They do fear me."  
  
**"They don't fear you enough."** The voice stated simply.  
  
"Yes they do, I don't want to be feared. I don't care. I want to protect those precious to me. Like... him..."  
  
**"You know you enjoyed it!"** The voice laughed. **"You enjoyed the man's screaming as you took away his arm. Didn't you just shudder in delight at the sight of the beautiful blood that spilled from his wounds? You can't fool me."  
**  
"No!"  
  
**"Oh yes you did you weakling, admit it. You still have the killer instinct. Let it out. Let people fear you. Let it give you the reason to exist!"  
**  
"Shut up!" Gaara yelled inside his mind  
  
**"GIVE ME MY SACRIFICES! I WANT BLOOD! YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME!" **The voice yelled as it completely lost control.  
  
"SHUT UP!!!" Gaara now screamed outwardly and forcefully put the demon inside him back to it's dark corner where it wouldn't be able to bother him anymore, for now anyway. He clutched his head and steadied himself for the painful headache that always came when Shukaku assaulted him mentally. Feeling the pain surge up he closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep for those few and precious hours every night that he was able to keep the demon at bay that lived inside him.

* * *

Naruto was biting back tears. He felt helpless, he was no medic and he couldn't even beat up the man who had hurt the girl he... loved? Was it really love? When he found out that Temari had been hurt something snapped inside him. He hadn't felt that way when Sakura was being pinned to a tree by Gaara and then slowly crushed until the two boys with demons inside them had run out of chakra.  
  
He sat there next to her still form, looking down at the slightly older girl. Her four pigtails were starting to loosen up and the strands of hair that refused to stay in place were sticking to her pale face. 'She looks so cute like that for some reason.' Naruto thought and a small smile creased his lips. That was when he broke down and tried to sob as softly as he could, trying not to disturb the sleeping girl. He hated this; he wanted to protect those he loved with all that he had. If he had to use Kyuubi to get stronger, then he would.  
  
He picked up one of her soft hands and stroked it gently across the back with his thumbs. Tears that glittered in the moonlight dropped down on both their hands when Naruto couldn't restrain them any longer.  
  
Temari stirred and opened her eyes to look at the wetness that she felt on her hands. She trailed the tears that dropped with her emerald eyes that were clouded by fatigue and looked up into pained shimmering blue depths. "Why are you crying?" She asked softly.  
  
"Temari-chan." Naruto said hoarsely, startled that she had awoken. When he saw a wince flash across her face, he lowered his voice to a mere whisper. "You should go back to sleep, Temari-chan. I'm sorry I woke you up."  
  
"Why are you crying, Naruto-kun?" She asked again in the same soft tone.  
  
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I should have been there. When I saw you lying here on your bed, my heart hurt so badly." He said and clutched his chest as sobs wracked his body. "I never felt this way before, is this..." He took a deep shuddering breath. "Is this what love is?"  
  
Her own heart swelled so much that it felt like it would nearly burst as she heard his confession. Pain flashed through her body as she moved on her side but she ignored it. Confusion was written on Naruto's face as he saw her move but he remained silent. Lifting her blanket, she patted the empty space she had created. Instincts took over when the blonde boy lied down beside her and allowed the blanket to cover them both. They both held each other that night, allowing their warmth to comfort each other. When the tears had finally dried up, Naruto nuzzled Temari's neck and she placed her chin on top of his head and the two of them fell asleep with a final contented sigh.  
  
Temari dreamed that night on how she had started to care so deeply about the boy that lay next to her in her room.

* * *

__

_"Temari... Kankuro... I'm sorry..."  
_  
That had started it all. After the fight with Uzumaki Naruto, the blonde boy that no-one acknowledged, Gaara had changed. Kankuro had been utterly dumbfounded but not as much as his sister, Temari. She had been surprised when that loud-mouthed brat had defeated Neji who was a genius from the supposedly strongest family of the Hidden Leaf; the Hyuga. But when the same annoying brat had also defeated her younger brother, the boy with the feared raccoon demon; Shukaku inside of him, she was shocked to put it very mildly. 'What kind of person is he? What kind of power does he possess?' She wondered.  
  
They had been rushing through the forest that surrounded Konoha for days. Occasionally they stopped for a few hours of sleep and something to eat but no doubt they would be expected to be back at their own village as soon as possible. For the first time in her life, Temari was truly scared to go back. They had failed their mission and brought shame on the Hidden Sand, what could the possible repercussions be?  
  
When they finally reached the edge of the massive forest they noticed it's subtle transition from lush greenery into the harsh heat of the desert. Just a few more steps and they would enter the Wind country. Exhausted, Temari sat down in the shade and closed her eyes for a few moments.  
  
Feeling someone sit down next to her, she spoke up. "Kankuro, what will happen to us?"  
  
Her brother sighed. "I don't know, sis. Gaara never failed anything before."  
  
Pausing for a while, Temari tried to enjoy the coolness of the Fire country before they would be running under the glaring sun and hoping that their pitiful footwear would provide enough protection from the burning sand. She glanced at her youngest brother, Gaara. As always he was sitting silently but instead of having his usual uncaring look in his eyes he seemed to be locked in an internal struggle. 'Gaara... what has happened to you...' She mentally asked her brother.  
  
Temari would have liked to sit there for a little while longer to rest her weary legs and wait for the night to fall but her brother tapped her on the shoulder as a signal to get moving again. She knew they had no choice and after making sure her battle fan was securely strapped on her back, all three siblings seemingly disappeared and ran as fast as they could towards their village.

* * *

"We have been forced to surrender to the Leaf." An old and weary voice said.  
  
Immediately cries of outrage and disbelief echoed through the great cavern hewn out of a sandstone cliff that overlooked the village of the Hidden Sand. When the three siblings had returned to their village, windswept and with sand and dust filling every pore of their body, their sensei; Baki had shown up and told them without a word of welcome that they were expected in the presence of the village elders.  
  
No-one dared to disobey a direct summon of the council under the penalty of death, so now they sat amidst a large group of Sand Shinobi who were reacting quite strongly to the fact that they would surrender.  
  
"We should attack them again, the Leaf will crumble!" A man in the back yelled.  
  
"This is a disgrace!" A woman, dressed in what seemed to a bleached toga, shrieked hysterically.  
  
"Silence!" The voice came from an old man with a wrinkled face as he brandished a large metal ball that caused sparks to fly as he smacked it hard on a metal plate fastened on top of a large and long wooden table. He looked to the left and then to the right at the other old figures that sat beside him. "The decision has been made, the Sand has been dishonored. One of the three legendary sannin; Orochimaru, killed the Kazekage and fooled us into making a temporary alliance. We all thought that, together with the Sound, we could defeat the Leaf."  
  
A painful silence followed after these words had been spoken. Their Kazekage was dead? Orochimaru had tricked them? They had betrayed their ally, the Hidden Leaf, for nothing? Although the news that their father died at the hands of Orochimaru made the three siblings angry, it wasn't because of their last remaining parent dieing. He didn't love them and so they didn't love him back. To him they had only been a tool, nothing more than to help him gain greater power. That's why he had purposely let Shukaku possess Gaara in the first place.  
  
An old woman with colorful sharpened nails who sat next to the old man facing the large crowd gathered in front of them spoke up next. "We must appoint a new Kazekage as well as take care of certain other things." She said and looked sternly at the three siblings who sat in front. "While potential candidates are selected for the tournament, Baki-san will be appointed as steward of our village."  
  
Life was harsh in the desert and this was reflected upon the village. You did what you were ordered to do or you died. Everyone pulled their own weight and no one was allowed to slack off. Unlike in the Hidden Leaf, Kazekage's were tested to prove their strength and leadership capabilities. This was usually done by a gathering of would be contenders who would beat each other in combat. Although killing was not necessary and preferably avoided, the tournament was known to be brutal and bloody. When a winner was declared, he (females were considered a weaker sex in the Hidden Sand and therefore not allowed to enter) would receive additional training to become even stronger.  
  
Temari was shocked, their sensei was chosen as the steward, a temporary replacement for the Kazekage? That meant he would be unable to teach them anything until the new Kazekage was chosen, and that could take up to two years! She fumed and was about to shout something when unexpectedly, Gaara laid a hand on one of her balled fists.  
  
"Do not worry." He said in a soft voice.  
  
Temari gaped at her youngest brother. Was he actually comforting her? Things had taken a very different turn lately. Finally having regained her senses she nodded dumbly and tried to focus on the elders again.  
  
"Everyone is dismissed." The old man that sat in the center said and slammed the iron ball on the iron plate once more.

* * *

When the three siblings had made their way out of the cavern and walked through the deserted streets of the village towards their own home, Temari shouted some colorful remarks that her brother, Kankuro would not have dared to repeat.  
  
"How dare they! How the hell are we going to get stronger now, what the hell is going to happen to us!" The girl with four pigtails shouted when she had calmed down somewhat.  
  
"God, shut up already would you?" Kankuro growled at his sister, he was in no mood for this. He kicked one of his sandaled feet into the sand that was, of course, everywhere and caused it to fly up and then into his eyes as the wind suddenly picked up.  
  
Temari whacked her insolent brother over the head and opened the front door of their house that they had finally reached. Out of sheer habit, Temari and Kankuro stepped back to allow Gaara entry first. Stepping inside after him they looked around. The house was simple like everything in the village; every available resource was used in the most efficient way possible. The desert didn't forgive brash luxury easily. Save for some painted fans, the walls were completely bare. All the furniture had the same sandy color and only a rug with some holes in it adorned the floor. The house had only two floors, ground floor included. And all the rooms, save the living room and kitchen were as small as possible. Even being the children of the Kazekage didn't offer perks where living space was concerned. Larger things caught more wind and were worn down more easily, or at least that was what their father had always said to them. The only truly impressive building stood in the center of the village and that was the building where the Kazekage resided.  
  
The three of them had barely sat down when someone rapped loudly on the front door. Grumbling loudly, Temari got up and opened the door. "Baki- sensei!" She exclaimed. "W-what are you doing here?" She knew perfectly well what he was doing standing in front of their house; he was to pass judgement on them for failing their mission. And from past experiences, Temari knew that failure was costly. Gulping, she bowed slightly and stepped back to let her sensei, the new steward of the Hidden Sand, step inside their house.  
  
As always, Baki was all business. "I am not going to be your sensei anymore. You will call me Baki-sama from now on. As you heard in the meeting, the Hidden Sand has surrendered to the Hidden Leaf. The repercussions of that will be made known shortly. Even though we were fooled by Orochimaru, you three still failed your mission, therefore we can not allow you to do missions until we deem otherwise. You are... _advised_ to remain in your house." Without giving any of the three a chance to respond, Baki walked out of the house and slammed the door shut.  
  
Temari and Kankuro looked at each other and then nervously at Gaara. Who had remained silent and motionless throughout the whole time, Baki had been speaking. This was going to be difficult...

* * *

Several weeks had passed and Gaara and Kankuro were often gone for days on end to train, Temari knew it was best to leave them to their own devices and not interfere. She herself had also trained vigorously out in the open desert and had even signed a summoning contract with a creature that called itself 'Kamaitachi'. He was a huge ferret with markings strangely similar to what a panda would have. He had been impressed by the sheer force of Temari's; Dai Kamaitachi (Cyclone Blade) and he was amused by the fact that her technique had the same name as him. After having a, for Temari very disturbing, talk with the creature, it had imbued her fan with a strange power to make it more durable and she would only need to streak it with a line of blood to be able to summon him.  
  
They had also found out exactly why they had been advised to stay inside their own home. Everyone in their village had by now heard that the Hidden Sand had been forced to surrender and they weren't happy at all. They needed someone to blame and unfortunately that role had always fallen on Gaara. Since they knew that they couldn't attack him without suffering a gruesome and bloody death, they attacked the next best thing. Gaara's brother and sister couldn't walk the streets without people spitting at them or attacking them one way or the other, be it by throwing harmless clumps of wet sand or kunai. For the last two weeks they had been able to defend themselves but one day, they were told that they weren't allowed to carry their weapons anymore.  
  
When Temari and Kankuro returned home after shopping for food, they staggered through the front door where Gaara was sitting in the living room, they were scratched, bruised and covered in dirt. They both winced when they sat on one of the couches and closed their eyes out of pure exhaustion.  
  
"What happened." The red-haired boy asked as he stared at them unblinkingly.  
  
Kankuro groaned. "Those damn villagers and a couple of Genins attacked us. Since we weren't allowed to carry our weapons anymore, we couldn't defend ourselves as well as we normally can."  
  
"I will kill them." Gaara said simply and was already halfway to the door when Temari called out to him.  
  
"Please don't, Gaara! It will only cause more trouble, it's nothing." Temari pleaded, desperate to stop her little brother from going on a killing spree.  
  
Gaara merely looked back over his shoulder and wordlessly turned around to walk up the stairs towards his own room, to do whatever it was he did, as he couldn't sleep properly at night.  
  
"C'mon Temari, we'd better get some sleep. Maybe Baki-sama will tell us something tomorrow." Kankuro said hopefully. He then hoisted himself from the couch and trudged up the stairs to sleep and hoped that his body wouldn't be as sore in the morning as it was now.  
  
Temari however decided that she would take a nice and long relaxing shower. Unlike Kankuro, she always valued a proper hygiene. She didn't know what Gaara did to keep himself clean but then again she didn't want to find out either. She walked up to her room and picked up one of her most precious possessions. It was a luxurious fluffy light blue towel she had bought when she and her brothers were on a mission in a village somewhere at the eastern border of the Wind country. There they could afford to be luxurious as they lived close to a forest and a large lake. It had been one of the best times of her life, she had even managed to take a swim and have a little fun before they returned after their mission was completed.  
  
Clutching the towel and some toiletries, she made her way to the small bathroom. She placed her things on a shelf away from the shower to keep it from getting wet and turned a knob to let the water flow from the showerhead. The jets of warm water bounced off of her as she moved her hands all over her to remove the filth and grime that had piled up over the last few days. When she was finished, she undid her pigtails and let her sandy-colored hair spill over her shoulders. She stuck her head under the water and grasped blindly for the shampoo bottle. Squirting out a significant amount, she massaged it firmly into her hair and scalp. After letting the white foam remain in her hair for a few moments she rinsed it out. Normally she would have done this as quickly as she possibly could to preserve water, but today she couldn't seem to care. Her mind was a turbulent mass as she thought about how Gaara had changed; he had even listened to her just now and went up to his room. Thinking about this her thoughts went to a certain blonde boy. 'Naruto...' She didn't know why, but he had changed her brother somehow. She was intent to find out exactly how he did it and for some reason she really wanted to thank him. This new and improved Gaara could only be for the best and it was all because of that hyperactive boy who she had thought of as a worthless Shinobi.  
  
Somehow she would return to the Hidden Leaf and find him again. With that firm resolve in her mind, Temari turned off the water and dried herself off, allowing the fluffy piece of cloth to caress her skin gently. Tying it around her body, she went back to her room and went to sleep, her dreams being only about a blonde boy whom everyone underestimated.

* * *

The next day, the three siblings were summoned to the Kazekage's building. Two of the three were clearly dreading what was to come but Gaara, as usual, didn't show any emotion at all. When they entered the building and stood before Baki, Temari and Kankuro knelt and touched their hands and forehead to the floor respectfully, Gaara simply remained standing and folded his arms in front of his chest in clear contempt. Baki, knowing this would happen, didn't say anything about it. He sat on a large red pillow and motioned them to sit down normally.  
  
"The Leaf has a new Hokage, her name is Tsunade, one of the legendary three." Baki said.  
  
'A woman?' Temari wondered in amazement.  
  
"Although it is a custom of ours not to let women become Kage, we have to respect their customs. From what I've heard she is a very powerful Kunoichi. She fears another attack from that traitorous snake, Orochimaru, and has therefore requested our help." He said and looked at the three that sat before him. "I have mobilized a Jounin team and two Chuunin teams to help them. They will remain there for five years to aid the rebuilding of Konoha and accomplish missions on their behalf. I am however looking for another team consisting of Genins." Baki already knew what was coming and wasn't disappointed when Gaara spoke up without looking at him directly.  
  
"We will go." He stated, without any emotion.  
  
"What?!" Kankuro yelled, surprised. "But, Gaara, that's five years we're talking about!"  
  
Gaara looked at his brother and repeated himself. "We will go." Emphasizing the 'will'-part this time.  
  
Even though his brother was showing signs of change, Kankuro was still very much afraid of him and remained quiet.  
  
Temari however was inwardly pleased. This way they could get away from those damn villagers and walk the streets without being attacked. Or at least that was what she hoped. Not to mention, she would be able to see a certain boy whom she wanted to thank.  
  
"When do we leave Baki-sama?" She asked.  
  
Kankuro's eyes bulged as he heard his sister. 'Am I the only one who doesn't want to go?!' He thought angrily.  
  
A ghost of a smile seemed to appear on their former sensei's face. "You leave tomorrow, pack only necessary clothing and weaponry. Housing and other accommodations will be made available for you when you arrive."  
  
After asking for a few more details about their new assignment, the three were dismissed and went home to pack a few meager belongings and get a good night's rest before they would be returning to the village that they had attempted to destroy less then a month ago.

* * *

"Temari, wake up!"  
  
"Nngh, wha?" Temari said groggily as she bolted upright in her bed when someone had entered her room and shouted at her.  
  
"Wake up, now!"  
  
"Kankuro! What the hell is going on?!" She asked angrily. Temari did _not_ like to be woken up very early in the morning when she was having a good dream. Especially not by her annoying brother.  
  
"We have to leave, Baki-sama received an urgent message from that new female Hokage... Apparently that Uchiha-character is a traitor and just left Hidden Leaf, she sent a team of Genins after him and some Sound-nins and wants us to help them." Kankuro said quickly and was already pulling a black shirt over his head and strapping his puppets on his back at the same time.  
  
Temari looked incredulously at her brother for a moment then slammed the door in his face and got dressed in record time. She snatched up her bags and her fan, ran out of her room, down the stairs and out of their house and met up with her two brothers who were already waiting for her outside in the near darkness of the desert morning. Not wasting any words, they looked at each other for a moment and then disappeared in a blur of speed as they made their way to the Fire country.

* * *

"AARGH! WHAT THE HELL?!" Kankuro was shocked, he was terrified, he was... he was... _angry_! "What the #$% is HE doing here?!" He roared.  
  
Being in a very nice mood, Kankuro had decided to be a good little brother and bring his bedridden sister a nice cup of soup. However, when he had walked upstairs and opened the door to her room, read to say a cheery 'good morning' and everything, he saw the new annoying and perpetual thorn in his life; a pest by the name of Uzumaki Naruto, sharing the same futon with Temari. Kankuro's_ sister_ Temari.  
  
Naruto was currently unaware of all this, fortunately he was always in a very foggy state of mind when he just woke up and wouldn't understand what was happening to him until at least a half an hour had passed. Temari however, found herself clutching her head while experiencing a throbbing headache and was just about to scold her little brother when she realized exactly what kind of compromising situation she was in.  
  
Her eyes wide, she uttered the only thing that came to mind. "Ah crap..."

* * *

__

_Songs that helped during the writing of this chapter:  
  
__**Kidney Thieves – Before I'm Dead   
Dolce Triade – Prayer for Love   
Unloco - Bruises  
**  
A/N: Many thanks to my beta "**refused**". Without him this chapter would probably be riddled with errors and mistakes. I'm going to have to let him go over my first six chapters, hehehe.  
  
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. Please forgive me if I didn't go into that much detail everywhere, I didn't want this to take two chapters. Also I took a bit of creative liberty (together with the help of my beta) on how Shukaku would talk to Gaara, which I think it turned out pretty good, and on how Temari received her summon.  
  
Next up: How will Temari and Naruto explain their being together in the same room? What will happen when Temari takes Naruto shopping? Why is Kumiko suddenly standing on the doorstep of the house where Naruto and the three siblings live? And much more, well maybe not much but a little anyway :P  
  
On to the review response!  
  
**bananamufu:** Haha, surely it isn't all crap? There are tons of Naruto/Hinata fics out there that are an awesome read. Thanks for the kind words though. ;)  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks!  
  
**Black Fyre Dragun:** Yeah it turns out he is a raccoon demon. I always thought he was a badger or maybe I wanted to believe that. Because I mean, come on, a raccoon? Thanks for the review!  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Yeah that would be funny as a drawing. :D  
  
**kashisenshey:** Should I be insulted? :P But anyway, here is the update.  
  
**Ice Dragon XXI:** Why would Naruto beat the crap out of Gaara? But don't worry, he will beat the crap out of someone in the next chapter. Thanks for the review!  
  
**MC-88:** Thanks a lot :)  
  
**Kyo Tetsuei:** Thanks! No I really mean it, I live in the Netherlands and all I have is a crappy online English – Japanese online translator thingie. When I use the other techniques I thought up in my future chapters don't hesitate to point out any grammar mistakes or if I'm using the wrong words.  
  
**blaboy:** Sorry, Naruto won't leave Team 7 in the foreseeable future. Kyuubi will probably play a bigger part later on in the story, at least I have some things planned out that involve him. Thanks for the review!  
  
**weirddramagirl:** Oh don't worry, things will definitely heat up between Sakura and Lee. Thanks for the review!  
  
**omnidragon:** Thanks!  
  
**Ramen Fox Box:** I haven't decided yet if he'll be related to the Yondaime. Maybe Naruto will have a bloodline limit he'll find out about but I haven't decided on that either. But for now he only knows his family is dead and he's more of a hard work guy like Lee. Thanks for the review!  
  
**ookami-kun:** Yeah it's a great pairing I think. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Anime Lance:** I have a lot more where that came from. Thanks for the review!  
  
**One Azn Dragon:** Naruto will go ballistic in the next chapter, I promise. Thanks for the review!  
  
**hinanaru:** Thanks!  
  
**Kuwabaras pupil:** We will definitely find out more about Kumiko's past and why her clan has been slaughtered, I don't know when yet but she'll eventually entrust her secrets with Naruto. No, she isn't related to Kakashi, sorry. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Grand Admiral Gin:** Thanks!  
  
**LostDeasertWolf:** Thanks!  
  
**Max Knight:** Don't worry, things will happen to make Temari truly realize her feelings towards Naruto, not just in this chapter. I reviewed one of your stories as well. Thanks for the review!  
  
As always I really appreciate the review. Let's all make the number go past 100 ok? _


	9. Secrets Revealed

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 9 – Secrets Revealed:**  
  
_(This chapter is dedicated to Princess Tsunade and her little sister (who bops Princess on the head for me every once in a while))._  
  
Naruto was in a happy daze. Even though he was awoken quite abruptly by something he couldn't quite identify, he felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Even a sweet angelic voice was calling to him. Aah, it was bliss... Hang on, the voice called again. He opened his eyes blearily, squinting and scratching his head with his left hand, he yawned before he focused on a pretty face hovering in front of him.  
  
"Naruto-kun, could you please wait outside for a few minutes?" The sweet voice said.  
  
Nodding, he stood up, wobbling slightly. He yawned again and unsteadily walked towards the door of the room he found himself in. Naruto wanted to do anything the pretty face asked of him, it sounded so sweet and innocent. He never noticed a brown-haired boy standing frozen in the doorway with a horrified expression on his face.  
  
After he stepped outside, Naruto closed the door and stood tottering in the hallway, blinking slowly every few seconds. He heard a few muffled sentences coming from one source in the room he just exited, which sounded awfully like; 'What's going on here?' 'What the hell are you going to do with that?' And 'Now hang on, let's talk about this!' Quite suddenly, he was sure he heard the shrill scream of what sounded like a six year old girl and a heavy something being thrown against the door. The sleepy boy jumped slightly, turned his gaze towards the sound and tilted his head sideways slightly. He wasn't sure what was going on in there but he didn't think he wanted to find out...  
  
After Naruto heard someone stomping on something in the room, the door opened again and revealed a shell-shocked looking boy who seemed to wince with every step he took. However, in an instant he forgot everything that just happened as that same sweet voice invited him back inside again. Quite content, he smacked his lips a few times and staggered back inside, still in his dreamy daze, lying down next to the body the sweet voice belonged to, embracing it tightly before falling asleep again.

* * *

A few hours later, Kumiko found herself being led towards the house of the three siblings and Naruto by her new sensei, Kakashi. When they arrived, her eyes grew wide as saucers as she saw the immensity of the building. _'They actually live here?'_ She thought.

She started slightly when her sensei grasped one of her shoulders, and turned around to gaze up at him, her eyes still wide. His visible eye was drooping a bit as usual but a small comforting smile was barely visible beneath his partial facemask. "Don't worry, ok?" He said.  
  
Kumiko nodded and smiled half-heartedly. "Ok."  
  
They walked up to the large front door and knocked. Just as they were about to knock again, the door was swung open by a red-haired boy. Kumiko barely suppressed a shudder when the boy locked his black-rimmed eyes on her and asked, "What do you want?" in a deep drawl.  
  
_'Well, he certainly doesn't have any social skills.'_ She thought grumpily.  
  
Her sensei spoke up. "Is Naruto home?"  
  
"I will tell him to come down." The boy said.  
  
To Kumiko's amazement, the boy didn't move, he simply closed his eyes and what seemed to be like a small ball of sand flew behind him and then up the stairs. After a few seconds a boy suddenly screamed.  
  
"GAARA!"  
  
The red-haired boy seemed to be smiling for a brief moment before quickly squashing it back into the usual impassive gaze. "We will wait for him in the living room." He said simply as he turned his back on them, walked down the corridor, eventually swallowed by the shadows.  
  
Kumiko blinked several times, then turned and looked up at her sensei for some sort of explanation, but all she received was a puzzled shrug.  
  
Having no other choice than to follow the boy, they arrived in a spacious living room and seated themselves on the two sofas that stood there in the middle of the room. Kumiko sat down, somewhat gingerly, on the edge of the sofa. After discovering that she sat directly across Gaara, she unconsciously scooted away from him, since the way he was looking at her was slightly unnerving. She grasped the end of her long white hair and started twirling it around a finger; something she always did when she was nervous about something.  
  
She squeaked and quickly let her hair go when Gaara spoke up. "Why are you doing that?"  
  
"O-oh, no reason." Kumiko said quickly and put her hands on her knees as she looked down at the floor.  
  
Just as Kakashi was about to say something, an angry Naruto interrupted him as he stomped inside the living room, hair covered by sand. "Gaara, you bastard, why did you do that? You could've called me like a normal person!"  
  
The verbal lashing from the blonde boy didn't seem to faze Gaara at all and he kept gazing blankly at nothing in particular. Seeing this, Naruto growled in annoyance and glanced across at the two visitors.  
  
"Eh? Kakashi-sensei? What are you and Kumiko-san doing here?" (1) He asked, slightly surprised at seeing the two of them in the house he shared with the three Sand siblings.  
  
The silver-haired Jounin scratched the back of his head and chuckled rather sheepishly, which was never a good sign if you asked Naruto. Whenever his sensei did that he was going to say something horribly unpleasant or needed to get something done for him...  
  
"Naruto, I uhm... I need a favor." Kakashi said. Yep, he wanted something done all right.  
  
Kumiko, a muscle working in her cheek and eyes darting restlessly, glanced across at Naruto and started twirling her hair around her finger again. Kakashi cleared his throat and clapped his palms together in front of his face, the excessive cheeriness in his voice quite unnerving to the now-wary Naruto...  
  
_'What could he have to ask that is so...?'  
_  
"Kumiko needs to stay with you guys for a while."  
  
Naruto was speechless and it was therefore up to Gaara to ask the obvious question, which he did in the same monotonous drawl. "Why?"  
  
"Well ... she was living with me for a while but she wanted to live somewhere else and we haven't been able to find appropriate housing anywhere else." Kakashi explained.  
  
"Why?" Gaara asked again.  
  
"B-because Kakashi-sensei is a _pervert_!" Kumiko suddenly yelled, pointing her accusing finger at the older man and then blushed at her sudden outburst.  
  
After this somewhat embarrassing revelation, the silver-haired Jounin was happy his other female student wasn't here, who, unlike Naruto, would surely try to behead him. Gaara, who had maintained his stoic silence throughout this whole ordeal, gave Kumiko permission to live in their house until she could find a proper place of her own. She gratefully thanked the boy – whom she still found rather scary – and rose to take her leave and go to Kakashi's house to pack her things. The Jounin, who was highly mortified, quickly followed.

* * *

This couldn't be! He only to wanted eat a _little bit_ before dinner, where was it?  
  
Searching frantically, Naruto threw open all the cabinets in the kitchen and found them all emptied of ...  
  
"WHAT THE! WHERE'S MY RAMEN?!"  
  
He almost broke down in tears then and there; beef, pork, shrimp and miso, all his favorite flavors... gone... Over the past week he had painstakingly collected a large amount in one of the cabinets, in fact, it was to be his personal survival rations should a nuclear holocaust occur so to speak. Who could have had committed this heinous act, this crime of all crimes?!  
  
"Ah, I see you've noticed that your ramen is gone, Naruto-kun."  
  
_Her..._  
  
That shrewd, yet so sweet and cute sand-devil ...  
  
He turned, crest-fallen..."Temari-chan... My ramen, how could you?!" He managed between desperate sobs.  
  
"No use in getting all upset, Naruto-kun. I hid it and I won't tell you were it is unless you do something for me." She said with an air of superiority and a smug look on her face as she leaned against the doorpost behind him with her arms folded in front of her chest.  
  
"So you didn't throw it away?" The blonde boy said, newfound hope lighting up his face. "Wait a minute, do something for you? What exactly..." He continued and narrowed his eyes at the Sand-nin.  
  
Temari smiled and walked up to him. "We're going shopping!" She said brightly and pecked him on the check.  
  
As soon as she said shopping, Temari was sure she saw a hint of fear flash across Naruto's eyes before he quickly looked down. _'Hmm? Why would he be afraid?'  
_  
Naruto quickly looked up again though and hid any internal emotions that he might have had under his usual broad grin. "Ok, but only if I get my ramen back!"  
  
"Fine, fine." Temari conceded and dragged the ramen-addicted boy out of the house by his left arm.  
  
As she took in the scenery outside, Temari really was amazed by the radiance of Konoha in the autumn. The trees that lined the streets were a collection of vibrant shades of brown and yellow with a few leaves that stubbornly remained their original green color. The sky was dotted with heavy grey clouds that threatened to spill their watery contents on the earth below, and only now and again did a sunbeam manage to break through, creating a cone of golden light that lit up parts of the village. Squirrels were already flitting everywhere to find enough food and store it before the snow would finally begin to fall. Even the boy who was resisting the firm grasp she had of his arm couldn't spoil the beauty of it all.  
  
As they entered the busy shopping district of Konoha, Temari understood why she had seen the fear in those blue orbs...  
  
Every time she walked the streets with her two brothers, she received stares and the occasional insult, but it was nothing compared to what the boy who was now walking beside her received ...  
  
The glares... The whispers behind their hands to their companions... And those eyes, always those cold eyes... Looking sideways at Naruto, she saw him looking down at the ground dejectedly, the usual brightness in his blue skies shadowed as if a storm cloud had glided over it and she was sure he was trying hard to ignore the coldness projected towards him. She herself had to endure it all the time back in her own village so she knew exactly what he was going through, but she couldn't understand why... Why would they treat the one that had single-handedly defeated her brother and the demon Shukaku and who had brought back one of their most prized geniuses like this?  
  
Looking around, she spotted a clothes store and was already halfway towards it when the owner suddenly stepped outside and put a closed sign on the outside of one of the windows. _'What the...?'_ Temari thought. _'Well that might have been coincidence...'_ Trying at the store that was next to it, its owner also repeated the action of his neighbour.  
  
This was an outrage! Closing the shop before the daughter of the late Kazekage had a chance to browse the goods? Stomping her foot indignantly, she was about to bash both their heads in when she felt a small tug on one her arms. Naruto shook his head at her and grimacing slightly, he pointed at the end of the street where they would exit the busy part of the shopping district and enter a small area with second hand stores.  
  
Temari had half a mind to just go back to their house and ask Gaara to engulf the whole area with his Sand-based ninjutsu but decided against it, no reason to get him into more trouble. Raising her head proudly she stalked towards where Naruto had pointed and ignored the reactions of the people that walked past them.  
  
When they finally reached the area, they were greeted by shops that could only be described as shabby.  
  
"Ok Naruto-kun, let's try some of these shops here, we both need some new clothes." Temari said, still slightly angry about the treatment they had both received a few moments earlier.  
  
"What do we need new clothes for?" Naruto mumbled. "I just got a whole batch from Obaa-chan."  
  
"I know but..." Temari sighed, trailing off and fidgeting a little. She had just wanted to spend some time together with him but she couldn't demand that he had to take her on a date, now could she?  
  
It was then that her gaze fell upon a small shop that barely stood out between all the others. It wasn't anything special, if anything it was even shabbier than the rest but for some reason it also looked more inviting. Not wasting any time, Temari ignored Naruto's 'But what?' and dragged him inside through the front door of the little shop.  
  
_'Wow!'_ was the first thing that Temari could think of when they stepped inside. The shop certainly seemed a lot bigger on the inside than it did on the outside. Sure it was a little dusty and the various pieces of clothing were randomly and haphazardly strewn across a few tables or hung on several racks but the overall effect was that it seemed a very comfy and welcoming establishment.  
  
When the two of them walked up to the counter with their footwear making soft tapping noises on the carpet floor, a woman appeared from behind a curtain that no doubt covered an exit towards a back room. She looked like she was in her forties and had a round and wrinkled but friendly face, her frizzy brown hair was tied into a single ponytail with a red ribbon and was dressed in a simple brown sweatshirt and pants.  
  
"Hello, welcome to my shop, can I help you?" She asked with a large smile.  
  
Temari, who was slightly taken aback by the woman nodded. "We're looking for some new clothes."  
  
The woman beamed. "Yes I'd imagine so, it's getting colder fast and I doubt that your current attire will be sufficient. Not that your current outfit isn't lovely my dear." She quickly added. "I've got the perfect thing for you so why don't you follow me and then your brother can pick something out for himself."  
  
Naruto and Temari blushed. "He's not my brother, ma'am." The slightly older girl explained.  
  
"Oh!" The friendly looking woman clapped her hands in front of her mouth, as she quickly understood the relation between the two of them. "I'm sorry, don't mind me. But let's get you your new outfit and maybe I can help him after we're done."  
  
The two women quickly went towards the back of the shop after the owner had dug up a variety of clothing and shoved Temari into the only dressing cabin which left Naruto to try and find some new clothes on his own. Of course, he failed miserably and decided to wait until the shop owner and Temari were done so they could help him. When he was scrutinizing several sweaters a few minutes later he heard someone speak up behind him.  
  
"All done!"  
  
He swiveled around and felt his jaw drop in amazement. Standing before him was Temari wearing a black skintight top that ran up to her neck underneath a thigh length beige woolen sweater with a braid pattern that fitted snugly around her figure, it also showed the top part of the top and her slender shoulders. She still wore the same black-netted garment but it now covered both of her calves and sported a pair of black skin-tight shorts that ended just above her knees. Heavy light brown boots, with warm woolen beige socks sticking out of them, covered her feet.  
  
"Isn't she just lovely?" The shop owner squealed, at which Naruto could only nod dumbly in agreement.  
  
Temari was inwardly very pleased she could have this effect on him and grinned. "Did you find some clothes for yourself, Naruto-kun?"  
  
When he shook his head, the shop owner and Temari quickly went to work and rummaged throughout the vast collection of clothing the shop had in stock. Knowing that the blonde boy had just received a large quantity of clothes from the fifth Hokage, Temari told the owner that they only had to pick out some sweaters for him. After they had looked through what seemed all the sweaters in the store, they had picked a slightly overlarge blue one which brought out the color of the boy's eyes and a white woolen one which would undoubtedly keep him warm on even the coldest nights.  
  
Temari decided to continue wearing the outfit she had just put together with the owner and Naruto proceeded to pay for the several bags of other clothing she had picked out, the two sweaters for himself and a couple of matching blue scarves they had picked out together. Though slightly disgruntled that his precious Froggy wallet had been emptied by half, he quickly forgot about it when Temari kissed him and thanked him with a smile that reached up into her emerald eyes.  
  
When they left the store the shop owner sighed wistfully at days gone by. She was there when Kyuubi had attacked Konoha but never held a grudge against Naruto, because in her mind there was simply no way that the boy, who seemed to light up whenever he saw the girl whom he was with, could be the demon itself...  
  
She sighed again and went to the back room to resume knitting her own clothes that she might never sell but was happy to make anyway. Rare customers like the ones she had today made it all worthwhile.

* * *

After they were done with picking out new clothes and had dropped them at their home, Temari and Naruto had decided to take a stroll in one of the many small parks that Konoha had to offer. They were currently walking across a field, admiring the simple beauty of leaves being carried off by the wind and were holding hands as they every now and again bumped into each other slightly.  
  
"You know..." Naruto began. "I'm glad we found that shop."  
  
Temari squeezed his hand a little tighter, laughing softly. "Yeah me too."  
  
The blonde boy cleared his throat nervously and scratched his nose with one of his thumbs. "I kinda had fun, so maybe we could, uh, do this again sometime?"  
  
She was about to answer when Naruto suddenly shoved her aside suddenly, causing her to tumble and fall on her behind. "What was that for?!" She screamed.  
  
Any ideas of horrible retaliation were instantly squashed when she gasped at the sight that greeted her. A flurry of senbon was embedded in the boy's chest and it obviously hurt him immensely.  
  
Naruto stood panting, a furious expression on his face as he quickly pulled out the needles. The instant he was done extracting them he moaned in agony, clutching his arms around his midsection and dropping to the ground.  
  
_'What...'  
  
'This pain...'  
  
'What's happening...?'  
  
'Feels like ... flames are shooting through my entire body...  
  
...Like... I'm about to be reduced to ash...'_  
  
Emerald green eyes widened in horror as she turned and caught sight of him, the pain etched across his strained features...  
  
Instinctively, Temari swiftly reached over her shoulder for her fan...  
  
...but only grasped thin air...  
  
_'What...'  
  
'Where's my...'_  
  
Her voice caught tightly in her throat as she realized she'd left it at home...  
  
"Well well, I'm surprised he's still alive..." A surprised voice snorted. Temari instinctively stiffened, scanning her surroundings carefully.  
  
"Oh well... he'll die soon enough anyway."  
  
"Who are you?! Show yourself!" She yelled furiously. "What the hell did you do to Naruto?!"  
  
The voice laughed mockingly, and turning her head sharply in the direction of the voice, Temari caught sight of a man balanced on a tree branch that stood a short distance away.  
  
She blinked in shock...  
  
The man could only be described as a cross between a human and monkey. Arms that were too large swung stupidly at his side and he stood a bit hunched over. He had a large amount of black spiky hair on top and black facial hair framed his face. In the middle of it all was a nose with overly large nostrils. A flak jacket covered a black one-piece jump suit and revealed his rank as Chuunin.  
  
"It's too bad he took those poisoned senbon intended for you... it was all I had." The ape-man scoffed. "Oh well, he might've well taken them... he deserved it to have helped murderous traitors like you Sand-nin here in Konoha... he should therefore be punished accordingly."  
  
"W-what?" Temari spluttered. Why would a Chuunin of all things attack them?  
  
"The poison acts quickly, he'll die in less than a half hour. That'll give me time enough to beat you to death." The face sneered cruelly, his large hands raised as he cracked his knuckles. "You traitors are going to pay for killing my best friend..."  
  
Without giving her a chance to defend herself, the Chuunin reached her at incredible speed, and had delivered a forceful punch to her face before she even had time to dodge, causing her to fly back several feet.  
  
She quickly raised herself to one knee, wiping her now bloody nose with the back of her hand... Temari knew she was in trouble, she might be an above average Genin but she relied on her fan for long and close distance combat ...  
  
"What is it with you Leaf bastards and revenge?" She spat out and put on her very own patented battle face; 'Psychotic Bitch'. "I'm going to break every single bone in your body, you hairy freak."  
  
_'Crap...'  
  
'Oh well... If I'm going to bluff, might as well do it properly...'  
_  
'Maybe I could hold out until someone else sees the battle and intervene...' Was the trail of thoughts running through her mind. She had absolutely no intention of dying today, especially not when things were going so well lately...  
  
The so called 'hairy freak' laughed.  
  
The so-called 'hairy freak' laughed. "You've got guts, little girl, I'll give you that. We'll see how cocky you are when I beat it out of you." He said, and with that he flew at her once more... Punches and kicks followed one another in such rapid succession that Temari could only barely dodge them.  
  
Finally she saw an opening when she dodged a punch that went over her head. She moved forward slightly to give him an uppercut but received a knee in the chest instead.  
  
Temari grunted and leapt back swiftly, clutching her chest, her breathing slightly forced.  
  
_'Damn, this isn't going well. Where are the ANBU? Why haven't they sensed this fight yet, are they really that incompetent?'_  
  
"Well! That was pretty fun, let's step up the pace a little shall we?"  
  
The Chuunin launched himself swiftly from the stout tree branch he had jumped on, his fist flung before him. Temari's breath caught in her throat as she saw the shadow descending upon her, framed by the midday sun behind him.  
  
She quickly rolled to the side as the ape-man impacted.  
  
What happened next, she could only describe as being slammed with several heavy mallets all over her body.  
  
She tried to deflect or block all the punches and kicks but just couldn't keep up; the man's speed surpassed her own...  
  
As the fight continued in the Chuunin's favor, a certain boy was stirring...  
  
He looked up and saw Temari receive a knee in the stomach and a hard elbow in the back as she doubled over. When her face twisted in pain, Naruto felt like as if a vicious clawed hand was ripping his heart to shreds until all that remained were slivers of burning hatred...  
  
Hatred that wanted Naruto to cause as much pain as he could to the Chuunin that was attacking them...  
  
Attacking Temari...  
  
He stood up gingerly and bared his teeth as he heard his girlfriend cry out...  
  
The boy's teeth clenched... he felt an anger swelling and swelling within him...  
  
A savage, primeval roar rumbled from somewhere deep inside him...  
  
The fury rose...  
  
And grew...  
  
Suddenly, a raging hurricane of chakra started to swirl around him...  
  
It was then that the Chuunin became aware of a strange chakra emanating from a source just beside him. He turned slightly and simultaneously leaped away from Temari. Focusing on the boy, who was now surrounded by a rising tower of raging, swirling and deadly red chakra, his eyes widened.  
  
The man's voice became hoarse... "What the –?! I-It's you! You're that m- monster!"  
  
Gritting his teeth, he snarled and leapt further away from the girl, hurling every kunai and shuriken he possessed at Naruto. The red chakra that now encircled the boy seemed almost like a living thing, as all the weapons was swept away, bounced backwards or simply destroyed under huge pressure.  
  
The blonde boy raised his eyes slowly, focusing on the man. A powerful, almost maniacal glint shot across those glowing red orbs...  
  
"Monster? Well I guess I am in a way."  
  
The voice coming from Naruto was a growl, a tone that almost seemed unearthly...  
  
Naruto focused his blazing red-slitted eyes on the now cowering man who, just minutes ago, was confident that he had killed the boy...  
  
Temari on the other hand, felt the evil chakra wash over her and a strange thought leapt into her mind...  
  
Was this why the Chuunin had called Naruto a monster... what had happened to him?  
  
The man didn't even have time to blink before he felt the boy in front of him, grabbing his throat and right arm so the Chuunin was now being held in a vice-like grip.  
  
(Even though he was a lot large, he was still pinned down on his knees by the smaller boy, and screamed in horror as he sensed the unbridled killer intent radiating from him.)  
  
The evil, deep growling from the boy twisted into a menacing laugh...  
  
"You scream like a little girl..." The grip tightened. "You worthless trash... you're going to pay for hurting Temari." Naruto grinned and licked his new- grown fangs. "Just die."  
  
Temari was still frozen, on one knee, her palms flat against the ground...  
  
Her heart was thundering against her chest, her eye widened in shock as she watched this...  
  
_'No...'  
  
'No... if he does what I think he's going to do...'_  
  
"Naruto-kun, stop!"  
  
Naruto froze as he heard the girl's desperate voice.  
  
Turning slightly, he focused his gaze on Temari, who was struggling to lift herself off the ground. "Don't kill him!"  
  
"Why... He deserves to die!" Naruto growled angrily.  
  
"I know that." She whispered weakly, as she almost felt her knees give way. "But you'll only get into trouble."  
  
Really, she had no problem with killing the man, but the way Naruto appeared now scared her... perhaps even more than how her brother once did?  
  
Just moments ago he had been lying on the ground, dying and yet here he was with strength that she had only sensed during his fight with Gaara...  
  
She jumped as a loud cracking noise filled the air, which was quickly followed by an anguished scream. She felt her breath catch in her throat again as she saw what had just happened...  
  
Naruto had grabbed both of the Chuunin's arms and snapped them like mere twigs.  
  
He then dropped him and the girl had a glimpse of the absolute terror in the Chuunin's eyes... the rippling waves of pain and agony...  
  
Naruto stepped back, tossing a scornful gaze at the defeated, anguished man. That low, terrible growl again rumbled from Naruto's throat...  
  
"Go. Get out of here... she just saved your life... remember that..."  
  
Her eyes widening in horror at what she just saw, at the incredible, powerful waves of chakra that was still washing over her, she watched the man rise, amble away awkwardly, the pain still shooting throughout his bruised body ...  
  
The girl turned shocked, slightly fearful blue eyes to the boy ...  
  
"Naruto-kun ... what – what _are_ you?" A weak whisper...  
  
Temari immediately saw this was the wrong thing to say. The red eyes transformed back into sky blue and were filled with...  
  
_...fear._  
  
Fright turned to confusion as she saw this...  
  
Naruto's breathing deepened, coming out in rasping, hoarse breaths...  
  
_'I can't tell her, I just can't. She'll hate me just like everyone else!'  
_  
The boy took a small step backwards...  
  
Temari's brows knitted together, and she took a step towards him, stretching one of her arms towards him. "N-Naruto-kun? What's wrong?"  
  
_'No, I can't tell her...'  
  
'She'll hate me... I can't risk this... not after I found someone so special...'_  
  
The frightened boy took another step backwards...  
  
Temari stared in shock as he turned around swiftly, and before she could blink, he was already running out of the park towards the forest that surrounded Konoha.  
  
"Wait! Where are you going!" Temari shouted, almost panicking after his retreating back.  
  
_'Why did he run away? What was that weird red chakra? What's wrong with him?'_  
  
She set off after the fast-retreating figure at a run...  
  
_'Only one way to find out the answers...'_

* * *

**(1) –san suffix, Naruto calls her Kumiko-san because he doesn't know her that well and therefore –chan would be a bit presumptuous.**  
  
_A/N: Sorry that it took this long for me to update everyone. I had a mild case of writers block. But thanks to the awesome help of my beta "refused" and "Princess-Tsunade" I've been able to create, what is hopefully a good chapter.  
  
Now I'm going to shamelessly advertise their stories because they are both plain awesome. So look them up (I can't put links here) and read them!  
_  
**Behind a Mask from "refused"**  
  
Tenten, now an 18 years old Chuunin, takes her first step as ANBU. Never did she imagine that a certain (ex?)-loudmouth would be the new captain of her team.  
  
**Flower of Konoha from "Princess-Tsunade"**  
  
Loneliness ends for Naruto when his sister returns, where she ran from after heartbreak as a child - to catch up, rebuild their lives, start being a family. But to where did she run & what happened in her mysterious past? (KakashiOC) Please give it a try!  
  
_Oh by the way, if you're wondering why Temari is already up and about, well she had a slight concussion but as a Kunoichi she has an amazing recovery rate so there :P  
  
Well I'm not going to write a longer A/N because the chapter is long enough itself, on to the review response!  
  
**Ice Dragon XXI:** Ah sorry about that, thanks for the review!  
  
**One Azn Dragon:** We'll see what's going on with Sasuke in the next chapter, thanks for the review!  
  
**Black Fyre Dragun:** Hahaha, sorry you had to wait this long for your "fix", I hope you enjoyed it!  
  
**Kuwabaras pupil:** Gaara knows and Kankuro too, but that doesn't mean the puppet-using Genin is happy about it... Thanks for the review!  
  
**MC-88:** Yeah sorry, another cliffie :P Thanks for the review!  
  
**Max Knight:** Yeah I know what her summoning technique is called but I picked the name for her summon from narutoinfo(dot)com. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Grand Admiral Gin:** Thanks!  
  
**sleeper:** Thanks. :)  
  
**Anime Lance:** I also hate cliffhangers but I couldn't seem to avoid it, I didn't want all my chapters becoming too long. Thanks for the review!  
  
**RyuLong:** Thanks! :D  
  
**omnidragon82:** Yeah they'll find out, when though is a secret... Thanks for the review!  
  
**element4life:** This isn't what the whole fic is going to be about, it's more going to be about dealing with what Sasuke will do and the history of the OC. But seeing there aren't a lot of Naruto/Temari fics out there I wanted to contribute my small part. Thanks for the review!  
  
**luxas prime:** Hehehe, Naruto a playboy? :P  
  
**Crutches:** Thanks for adding me to your favorites and of course for the review! :)  
  
**LostDeasertWolf:** Thanks a lot! :)  
  
**me:** Thanks, I hope you enjoyed it so far.  
  
**weirddramagirl:** Yeah Gaara wants to talk to Naruto but he's biding his time a bit first. Look for their talk in a couple of chapters!  
  
**K34:** Kankuro is scared of Naruto but seeing he is hot-headed and really doesn't like the brat he more or less forgets his fear. Thanks for the review!  
  
**ookami-kun:** Thanks!  
  
**Kashisenshey:** No you didn't say anything wrong I think but you said you were going to sleep in the last review so I thought maybe my fic was a bit boring for you? :P  
  
**refused:** Yeah yeah, instead of reviewing my story, why don't you work on your own fic, I want to read the second chapter dangit! . ... Pervert! :P  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Hehe, no they didn't get drunk :P  
  
**blaboy:** Nope, this won't get R-rated later on, you're welcome to make lemon outtakes yourself but I won't make them, sorry. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Gopu:** Thanks!  
  
**Lucas:** Thanks for the suggestion but I had already thought of something like that. It'll all be revealed in later chapters.  
  
**SxStrngSamurai13:** Thanks for the kind words, sorry about the slight rush but I don't want to spend too much time on it even though I really like it all. Thanks for the review!  
  
**EvilP:** Well if someone throws a rock at your head from a blind spot while you're standing in the middle of a jeering crowd it's kind of hard to detect small objects. And no this isn't a rewrite, I haven't consciously used anything from another fic either... Thanks for the review!  
  
**Princess-Tsunade:** Thanks for all the reviews, I really appreciate it :)  
  
**Jaxis Obrien:** Haha, thanks!  
  
**Raidin:** Thanks for the review! :D  
  
**Nameless:** Thank you and I hope you'll keep reading.  
  
**d-scribe:** Look, don't say anything about what you don't know about. I talk to her about her fanfic on ICQ so I don't need to put lengthy essays as a review. Please don't talk to me about guide-lines as you've proven yourself to breaking them if there are any. I responded the way I did because you were very rude to a dear friend of mine and I'd appreciate it if you would just stop. Thanks for the suggestions because some of them make sense, I already planned on going back and improve my previous chapters as I continue to (in my opinion) improve as I'm writing more. Any other reviews from you with more suggestions are appreciated just don't go about senselessly bashing someone's fic and for some odd reason their profiles.  
  
Well! That's the whole lot of them I think, I thank everyone for their reviews they are really appreciated a lot. So since you've all risen to the cause of getting the review count up to and over 100, let's go forward to 150! (dare I suggest 200?)_


	10. Midnight Trysts and Broken Hearts

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
_Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's.  
_  
**Chapter 10 – Midnight Trysts and Broken Hearts:**  
  
(This one is dedicated to Rickard, you know who you are.)  
  
Naruto was running through the encroaching darkness, desperately trying to get away from the questions that would be asked of him. Desperately trying to get away from it all. His face was a mask of anguish as tears cascaded from his sky blue depths, creating a trail of wetness across the dirt which was strewn with a myriad of fallen leaves and branches.  
  
_'Why damnit?! Why is this stupid thing inside of me?!'_  
  
The boy shook his blonde hair as he kept on running and brushed the back of his hand across his eyes to try and stop the flow of tears.  
  
Momentarily not seeing where he was going, the blonde boy collided with one of the many trees which were a part of the great forest that surrounded Konoha. Out of balance for a split second, his left foot snagged fast on the root of the tree which stuck stubbornly out of the ground and caused the young boy to fall down with a painful thud.  
  
As he lay there, face in the decomposing leaves and his hands automatically trying to lift himself from the ground, he felt himself giving up.  
  
He didn't have the energy anymore, he couldn't keep fighting. Once the girl he had tried to protect found out that something _evil_ was lurking inside of him, and what it exactly was, she would leave him and hate him like everyone else.  
  
Suddenly a low, echoing growl sounded out from nowhere in particular, but still from everywhere at once...  
  
**"Kid, you giving up so easily?"**  
  
_'What was that?'_ Naruto asked himself in his mind. He was sure no-one had seen him run into the forest aside from the girl whom he was running away from. But the voice sounded so familiar...  
  
**"You're such a weakling, you know that?"  
**  
_'What the...'  
_  
"Oi, who are you!" Yelled the young boy aloud as he picked himself up from the ground, his body tensing as he scanned his surroundings carefully.  
  
**"It's a disgrace to be locked inside a stupid container as you, who the hell do you think I am!"  
**  
Understanding dawned on the boy, and he slumped down wearily, propping his chin on his palms, closing his eyes as he tried to focus.  
  
"What do you want from me?" He said moodily as the he was in no mood for a talk with the source of all his suffering. _'Stupid overgrown fur-ball...'  
_  
**"I heard that..."** The 'fur-ball' growled. **"Shut up and just talk to me in your mind, if you can call the little bit you have a mind. It might explain why it's so cramped in here anyway..."**  
  
_'You shut up! You're the one that got me into that mess. Why should I lis...'_ Naruto trailed off. _'Since when can you talk to me like this?!'  
_  
**"Treat me with respect, insolent whelp! My name is Kyuubi, I am the greatest of all the Demon Monsters of the Ancient Underworld, I am..."  
**  
_'Yeah whatever, just answer the damn question!'_ The blonde boy snapped impatiently and rudely interrupted the demon that resided within him. Greater men would have cowered at the mere mention of the name Kyuubi but not Naruto. At the moment, he couldn't have cared less, he was much too angry at the demon to be afraid.  
  
**"You are very lucky I am not able to break this seal..."** The demon snarled in barely suppressed rage. **"If I could I would rip you to bloody bits and pieces you... AAARGH! This damn seal!"  
**  
In the back of his mind, Naruto could feel Kyuubi struggling. It felt almost like a big pressure growing in his brain but after a few moments, the demon fell silent for a short while until the he once again spoke to the blue-eyed boy. **"I don't know how I can talk to you, I just can ever since your thirteenth birthday. I've been seeing what you've been seeing and feeling what you've been feeling. Your damn mood swings are enough to make me sick."**  
  
_'What, everything?!'_ Naruto asked, horrified. Did that mean Kyuubi was watching when Temari kissed him?  
  
The demon snickered. **"Yes, everything..."  
**  
Naruto's stomach seemed to clench painfully. _'What do you want from me?'  
_  
A deep, booming scornful chuckle echoed throughout his mind.  
  
**"Like I said, you are a disgrace to be called the container of the great fox demon. I came to... _bargain_ with you..."  
**  
_'Why the hell would you want to bargain with me?'_ Naruto asked angrily. He was interested, however, in what the fox had to say. He had made a promise to himself that he would protect his precious persons from harm even if he had to use Kyuubi to do it. But could he uphold his promise if the cost was too high?  
  
**"Your normally useless teacher, Kakashi, actually managed to make a useful technique but you have to use my chakra for it. Both our entities are merging more and more with each passing day but you still need my consent to use my power."** The demon explained. **"What happened today was a damn fluke, if you ask me you should have snapped that weakling's neck..."**  
  
_'So you're saying you'll actually let me use your power?'_  
  
**"Only on one condition."**  
  
_'What condition is that? I should have known this was too good to be true.'_  
  
Kyuubi laughed. **"I'll let you use some of my power and even teach you things you could never have dreamed of but in return you'll have to learn a certain summoning technique and promise me you'll use it whenever I ask."**  
  
The blonde boy wasn't quite sure if he liked the sound of this and squirmed uncomfortably. _'What kind of summoning are we talking about here?'  
_  
**"You'll find out this later, someone is approaching. We'll have another talk soon..."** The demon warned and Naruto felt the overpowering presence he had noticed in his mind diminishing.  
  
Getting up quickly, he looked around to see who was approaching and saw a familiar set of four pigtails bobbing up and down as the person was running in his direction. He felt a sharp stab in his heart and ran off towards a place he often visited when the troubles of his life weighed too heavily on his shoulders. Surely _she_ wouldn't know where it was.  
  
After at least a half an hour of running, dodging trees and stumbling every so often, Naruto came across a clearing that had a small creek flowing gently through its center. Looking around, he saw a slightly charred old tree that had fallen to the ground due to the impact of a lightning bolt and sat on top of it. Naruto sighed and hugging his knees to his chest, he stared out over the clearing that was bathed in beautiful pale moonlight. At random intervals, a few dewdrops glittered as they caught the light and plummeted towards the ground from the leaves that refused to fall from the trees.  
  
"You know, you shouldn't have run away like that." A female voice said softly behind him and caused him to turn around in shock.  
  
"Wha... What are you doing here, how did you find me?"  
  
The girl that had spoken smiled gently and narrowed her emerald eyes playfully at the wide-eyed blonde boy. "I would be a useless Kunoichi if I couldn't follow your tracks through the forest. You didn't exactly put in any effort to cover them up." She said and sat down next to him with a soft sigh.  
  
"You shouldn't have come, Temari," Was the dejected, monotonous reply as he slumped his shoulders.  
  
Clutching her sweater around her a little bit tighter as she shivered due to the sharp, chilling night wind, she noted the lack of the usual suffix attached to her name. The Sand-nin asked the only question she could think of. "Why?"  
  
Clenching his fists, Naruto looked sideways at the girl sitting beside him, his eyes betraying the emotions he felt raging inside him.  
  
Anger...  
  
Confusion...  
  
_Fear...  
_  
Seeing she wasn't going to get a straight answer with a normal question, Temari gently but firmly covered the boy's trembling hands with her own.  
  
This gesture caused the blonde boy to look up into her eyes and made him feel even worse. "Tell me what's wrong, Naruto-kun. What happened back there?"  
  
A small flitter of hope settled in Naruto's stomach but was quickly washed away in a storm of depressing thoughts. He couldn't tell her... She would fear him... Resent him... Just like she must be fearing and resenting her brother...  
  
Her... brother...!  
  
The small flitter of hope suddenly seemed to fill his heart, like a glowing sun which banished the lonely darkness.  
  
Maybe – maybe he could tell her! After all, one of her brothers was possessed by a demon. But it was hardly anything like having the great Kyuubi; the most powerful of all the ancient Youma (Demon Monsters) inside you, was it?  
  
Naruto's stubborn attitude returned tenfold. Great Kyuubi? More like annoying rabid ball of red fur! He was in control wasn't he? This stupid fox was trapped within the confines of a mysterious and powerful seal and lurked behind giant towering bars inside him didn't he?  
  
And if Naruto couldn't trust this beautiful girl sitting next to him, whom could he trust? Besides, there were already a few people who knew and didn't hate him. Who understood...  
  
_'Iruka-sensei, Ero-sennin, Obaa-chan, Kakashi-sensei...'_  
  
"Temari-chan, I..." Naruto started and the girl smiled at the return of the affectionate title he added to her name. "I..." He said and paused. Just because he had decided to tell her what was wrong with him, it didn't mean he actually knew _how_.  
  
Temari noticed this and tightened her fingers around his, gently squeezing them in encouragement, allowing him the time to find his words.  
  
"D-Did you ever hear of... of a – a great fox demon that appeared thirteen years ago?" Naruto asked tentatively, stuttering slightly.  
  
"Yes..." The slightly older girl already didn't like where this was going and squeezed his hands gently.  
  
"Well, it was impossible to kill... So the Fourth Hokage did the only thing possible; he sealed it... Inside a newborn child..."  
  
The boy's breathing suddenly quickened as his chest tightened... His throat dry as he tried to swallow several times...  
  
"...And that child was..."  
  
Temari gasped, she already knew the answer and widened her eyes in shock. She hardened her grip and was now almost painfully clenching the boy's hands...and was now almost unconsciously clenching the boy's hands almost painfully...  
  
"...Me..." Naruto choked out hoarsely, and jerked his hands away to turn his back on the girl. He wrapped his now shaking hands around his middle, hunching forwards, head bent against the sharp and bitter night wind, through the slivers it put into his heart... his voice choked with emotion as he whispered gruffly to her.  
  
"Sometimes his power comes out when I'm really angry and then I can't control it... I understand if you don't want to see me again or if you hate me..." He finished with a cracking voice, already tears were streaming down his cheeks.  
  
_'Naruto...  
  
This – this boy...  
  
...Just like Gaara?  
  
Just like Gaara, he's the vessel for a demon?'_  
  
The girl just stared at the hunched up, miserable figure, and at the silver streaks on his face against the moonlight, the silvery glow in his hair...  
  
_'How could he...  
  
How could he ever think... that I could hate him?  
  
Not just because I understand the burden of a demon... goodness knows we've experienced it several times within Hidden Sand...'_  
  
The emerald eyes shone in the moonlight...  
  
They sparkled...  
  
And the feeling within her heart grew...  
  
This feeling, this wonderful feeling...  
  
It could only be...  
  
..._Love_...  
  
The girl had to fight down her tears...  
  
_'How could he have remained so innocent and carefree after so many years of hatred?'  
_  
The boy suddenly felt strong, gentle, soft arms encircling him tightly around his shoulders, and then felt soft lips press against the side of his head.  
  
And a voice, a beautiful, lovely voice...  
  
"How can you think that I would hate you, Naruto-kun? If anything," And here, he felt her shift closer, felt her gently rest her chin upon his shoulder, felt the soft tickle of her lips against his ear, "If anything, I _admire_ you. You've been nothing but kind to me when we returned here after having betrayed you all. You made my brother change for the better. You saved my life today. No, I won't hate you and I won't run away from you... I never will..."  
  
The boy turned, his sparkling blue eyes gazing into those beautiful emerald eyes... and received a smile that seemed only meant for him. Already he could feel the cold slivers melting away, at her very touch, her very _voice_... How could he have deserved such a beautiful, breathtaking girl like this in his life? He could only wonder at this _miracle_...  
  
He closed his eyes as he felt her shift closer, felt a tingle run through him as her lips lightly ran over his face, kissing the tears away... and that tender, soft whisper... "I love you, Naruto-kun, I don't think _anything_ could change that."  
  
He didn't know why he felt as if his heart would suddenly burst... as if a thousand fluttering wings were in there clamouring for freedom, to rise into this beautiful starry sky... Was this the feeling you got when you truly cared about someone? It was so different than that night a few days ago...  
  
_'I don't deserve this girl...  
  
I don't deserve someone so beautiful, so caring, so loving, understanding...  
  
What could I have done in my past life to be blessed like this...'_  
  
But all thoughts were cut abruptly, and his heart did finally burst...  
  
Explosions filled his head as her soft rose lips covered his...  
  
How much time passed, the boy would never know, except that it seemed – and he wished it – to last forever... or even beyond that...  
  
His heart threatening to race away with the very force of its thudding, he finally leant back and locked his gaze with those beautiful eyes again. Leaning forwards, he closed his eyes as his forehead rested against hers.  
  
His heart, his mind, his whole body was still tingling. His very soul was a hurricane of a thousand different emotions.  
  
All further thoughts were halted as Temari leaned forward to claim his lips once more under that magical starry night.

* * *

For an eternity, Sasuke had replayed his memories in his mind. Yet, he still hadn't found the answers he was looking for.  
  
Visions of the corpses of his uncles, aunts, cousins littering the street, glinting metal embedded within their bodies haunted him continually... and that terrible image of his father and mother lying in their own blood, was like a nightmare he could never wake from. He felt his heart grow colder and colder as each memory surfaced, then submerged, only to re-surface with another lingering horror in his mind. It exploded in a fiery rage whenever the memory of that fateful day ended, with his brother standing over the two corpses and ruthlessly, coldly saying they were just a measuring stick to test himself...  
  
_'Itachi... I'll kill you...'  
_  
This was the whole reason for his existence. To kill his brother and resurrect the proud Uchiha clan, the clan which had upheld the law and order of Leaf, which had been the fortress and stronghold of the village.  
  
To protect Konoha...  
  
Sasuke didn't know what to think anymore. He had been beaten by Naruto, the dead-last. The blonde boy had told him that Orochimaru only wanted his body, that the sennin wouldn't even give him time to kill Itachi.  
  
At first, Sasuke had denied this until he revisited all the memories he had with Team Seven. Up until the point where they first got together, Sasuke had been alone, always alone... Nothing to keep him company but that lurking hatred towards his older brother, a hatred that grew every time he would walk around in the Uchiha manor. He knew no other purpose, he had not wanted to know any...  
  
But his teammates and sensei had let him know another part of life; rivalry, companionship...  
  
Love...  
  
He had always regarded Naruto as someone lesser than him, but he was jealous of the growth the hyperactive boy went through and that had spurred him on to towards greater heights. In another life, maybe they could have been the best of friends...  
  
His sensei, Kakashi had devoted his time on him, had taught him a powerful technique as well as giving him tips on how to control the Sharingan.  
  
And Sakura... Always annoying but she truly loved him. He found that out when she had tried to stop him from leaving. He never returned the feeling and had always been cold towards her. Maybe she deserved more...  
  
Was this the power that Naruto was going on about? If you truly cared about someone, did you really become stronger?  
  
No, it couldn't be, could it?  
  
Sasuke had to be sure and tried to remember his earlier days doing insignificant missions with the rest of Team Seven. Maybe when he recalled these and when he finally woke up, he would find the key to greater power...

* * *

The next day, two people said their goodbyes after a long and grueling training-session on Field four.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, Lee-kun!" A pink-haired girl shouted.  
  
The boy happily yelled back. "Ok, Sakura-chan. Bye!"  
  
As Sakura walked home, she knew she should have felt completely tired. But Sakura was still on a high from adrenaline surging through her veins. Every day she improved dramatically and it was beginning to show. No longer did she run out of breath after only a few runs around the field or after a number of sit-ups and push-ups. And she knew Lee had noticed it too when he said they could work on a few Taijutsu techniques the next week.  
  
For the first time in her life, she felt proud of her accomplishments. Now no-one could say she was only good at reading books. Lee had almost overcome his abnormal behavior when he was around her and Sakura was extremely happy about that. Nothing was more annoying than having someone hound you every day about every little thing...  
  
A slight pang of guilt coursed through her body. Naruto had annoyed her and in turn she had done it to her former teammate, Sasuke. However, when he woke up he would have no more reason to call her annoying. No, she was finally over him and didn't get those butterflies in her stomach at the mere mention of his name. Now she would focus her attention on other things... and maybe someone else...  
  
She stopped suddenly. Speaking of refocusing your attention, didn't Naruto tell her that he had found a girlfriend? She slapped herself on her slightly overly large forehead and scolded herself for not thinking about it sooner. You could call the pink-haired Kunoichi a lot of things, and curious was definitely one of them. Breaking into a run, she decided she wanted to find out who it exactly was and she already had a pretty good idea. _'Just a quick shower and I'll go ask her.'_ She thought.  
  
A mere ten minutes and a shower at breakneck speed later, Sakura found herself walking towards the only place she could think of where she could find the person she thought was Naruto's girlfriend. _'Maybe that dimwit finally wizened up and took a good look around him.'_ She thought and grinned.  
  
Sakura prided herself on her analytical abilities and knew the girl she was looking for always put herself down. She had no faith in herself and looked up at Naruto as some kind of hero. Therefore, Sakura was not surprised when she heard labored breathing and the soft thuds of flesh hitting wood when she arrived at a small training area with nothing but large upright logs.  
  
"Hinata-san!" She yelled and lifted one arm to wave at the Hyuga girl.  
  
The girl was visibly startled, and turned her head so fast that her short blue hair whipped in her face. She focused on the person who had spoken her name.  
  
"S-Sakura-san. What are you doing here?" She stuttered softly as she raised her arms in front of her chest.  
  
Frowning as she saw the bloodied hands of Hinata but then grinning as she looked into her aquamarine orbs, Sakura decided to probe gently into the Naruto matter. She leaned forwards, beaming. "Well, you know, just thought I'd see how you were doing."  
  
Hinata stuttered even more as she saw the sheer boldness of Sakura's new attire. "Oh... Oh really?" _'I could never wear something like **that**.'_ She thought as she saw the rather tight black pants of the girl in front of her...  
  
Sakura frowned upon closer inspection of the younger girl's bruised hands. "You really should take better care of your hands, Hinata-san. I don't think your _boyfriend_ would ever appreciate bloodied stumps." Sakura said and almost immediately groaned as the words escaped from her lips. _'So much for the gentle approach...'  
_  
"B-boyfriend?" The blue-haired girl squeaked.  
  
Sakura winked. "Don't try to hide it from me, Hinata-san. I know who it is." She said, throwing all caution in the wind.  
  
"I-I r-really don't..."  
  
"Come on, you've always adored him. Aren't you happy he's yours now?" The pink-haired girl asked with her grin dying down slightly.  
  
"Wh-what do you mean?" Hinata replied, a slight urgency now noticeable in her voice.  
  
Sakura flailed her arms wildly and impatiently in the air. "Naruto! He told me he has a girlfriend now, it's you, isn't it?!"  
  
Time seemed to stand still as the weight of the words sunk into Hinata.  
  
_'Girlfriend...?  
  
Naruto...?  
  
Naruto-kun has a...'_  
  
A painful, unfamiliar tightness spread across her chest, and suddenly she was finding it hard to hold that tightness from bursting out...  
  
She could only desperately try and stop her tears from falling. With great difficulty, Hinata managed to voice her thoughts, as if to confirm the truth, just in case...  
  
"N-Naruto-kun h-has a... girlfriend?"  
  
Dropping her arms quickly, Sakura stared in disbelief at the obviously shocked girl. _'Oh crap, I've really done it now.'_ She thought and her inner self was already chewing her out with a few well placed insults.  
  
The pink-haired Kunoichi never got a chance to say anything further when the other girl quickly ran past her. "Hinata-san!" She yelled at the back of the retreating figure. "I'm sorry, I really am!"  
  
Her words fell on deaf ears though, and she was left standing alone near a bloodstained log.  
  
Jade eyes gazed numbly on it, thinking that the girl's heart was probably as splintered and broken as the log was...

* * *

"Well that's it, I'll be going now. Bye!" A silver-haired man said before he quickly disappeared in a small cloud of smoke.  
  
"Wha –! Hey! Kakashi-sensei, wait!" A girl with very long white hair yelled indignantly. "Damnit! Now who is going to help me carry all these things inside?!"  
  
While Sakura had been rather tactlessly revealing certain information to Hinata, Kakashi and Kumiko had gathered her things at his own apartment. She had never expected it would take so long to pack all of her new belongings, and so she and her sensei had taken an extra day to make sure everything could be taken to her new house in one go.  
  
Her mood took a nosedive as she remembered her horrible escape from her former village.  
  
Forced to leave everything behind...  
  
Leaving her family behind on the perilous journey to Konoha as they were slaughtered one after the other...  
  
The screams, the cries for mercy, the cries from the wounded who were reaching out to those fleeing past... babies, children bathed in their own blood...  
  
These would never, ever leave her...  
  
_'Killed... Everyone was killed... By those... Bastards...'_ She thought angrily and sniffed once. She wasn't going to allow herself to cry, that wouldn't bring anyone back or make her feel any better. She could only revenge her clan and exact horrible justice on the ones responsible...  
  
"Hey, what are you shouting about and what are you doing here with all those damn bags?!" Someone suddenly shouted and caused her to look up.  
  
"Uhm... My name is Mikadzuki Kumiko. Pleased to meet you." She said and bowed towards a boy with weird face paint. "I'll be living here from now, until I find my own place."  
  
The boy puffed himself up and scrunched up his face, and if it wasn't for the paint covering it, it would have probably looked as if his head was threatening to explode. "What?! Another one of you brats coming to live here?!" He roared in outrage. "I've had it! Damn all you little brats to hell!"  
  
Kumiko stood openmouthed as she watched him turn on his heels angrily and stomp back inside the large house, slamming the heavy oak doors as he went through the front entrance. _'Wow, what crawled up his butt and died?'_  
  
Slightly miffed about the fact that the boy didn't even help her carry her things, she sighed and started to do it herself. "Well... It looks like staying here is going to be interesting to say the least..."

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took a week but I had some trouble beginning this chapter again and I've also started on a project with my beta. We've already got tons of ideas for it and we hope you'll like it when we finally release it! (No I won't give you details just yet :P)  
  
Just a warning: This story focuses more on the events of Sasuke and the deal with Orochimaru/Itachi, after that I'll create a sequel which focuses on the story of Kumiko, ie: why was she run out of her village, what happened to her clan etc etc. That does not mean however, that you won't get to find out anything in this story about it. It's just not focusing solely on it.  
  
Oh by the way, I've heard a lot about the spelling of Kyuubi and Hyuga, some say it's with one u or two u's. However, I'm keeping it the way it is now.  
  
Now, another note. I would like to thank "refused" and "Princess-Tsunade" for their awesome help, without them this chapter would undoubtedly suck.  
  
Next up: The long awaited talk between Gaara and Naruto. How is Hinata dealing with the sudden revelation of her idol having a girlfriend already and Kumiko gets to see the daily routine of the Siblings' household?  
  
I might put a Shikamaru scene and a Sakura scene in just for kicks :P  
  
On to the review response!  
  
**refused:** Hah, you mean he's a pervert like you? :P  
  
**Princess-Tsunade:** Thanks for the review, princess. I really appreciate all of them. :)  
  
**panuru4u:** Thanks, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.  
  
**One Azn Dragon:** I think that guy learnt his lesson though, he won't be attacking Naruto and Temari any time soon anymore. Thanks for the review!  
  
**Crimson-Strike:** It turned out ok in the end didn't it? :)  
  
**Ice Dragon XXI:** I hope you'll enjoy yourself, and yeah, hopefully I'll have at least another chapter out before you return.  
  
**kashisenshey:** Haha, take it easy, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  
  
**Anime Lance:** Well I might let you know what Kakashi did... ;) Thanks for the review!  
  
**Black Fyre Dragun:** Thanks! Uhm I don't know how long this story is going to be, but I've already got a sequel in mind and this story itself is far from over.  
  
**d-scribe:** Ok blah blah, I'll focus on the points you made. The reason Kumiko hasn't been showing up a lot so far is that I'll focus on her story in the sequel. Until then she's more or less just another character for this story, but yes you'll find out more about her later though. Don't think she'll be an super powerful character I just made up, because she absolutely isn't. Just like everyone else, she's got her good points and her flaws.  
  
Ugh honestly, I couldn't care less if you think I'm focusing on Temari and Naruto too much, it has all been leading up to this point anyway. But you are right about describing what a person is wearing, I'll be sure to use that when I revise my earlier chapters.  
  
Last part of your review: Sorry, but uhm... Yawn? Again I couldn't care less. Thanks for the review though.  
  
**Kuwabaras pupil:** Yep I hate cliffhangers too and I hated myself for doing them twice in a row as well. The reason she wanted Naruto to leave the room in that first scene, was because she wanted to have a personal "talk" with her annoying brother.  
  
**dalcacris:** Ah, I was wondering who might've called himself "me". Oh and by the way, just because you like a romantic situation, doesn't mean you're a wuss. Don't worry about it. :)  
  
**Max Knight:** Yep I wish I could only see her like that as well, too bad I can't draw very well though. And erm, no, the monkey-man isn't related to the Sarutobi clan.  
  
**Kale Ironfist:** Ugh, make the chapters even longer? Are ya crazy? :P It would take ages for me to update then. Thanks for pointing out errors here and there, my previous chapters are already in the process of being revised.  
  
**Peradis:** Yep it is certainly an odd pairing. Odd pairings rule! :P  
  
**weirddramagirl:** Well seeing as Kyuubi provides extraordinary healing capabilities, it dissolved the poison inside of him.  
  
**Raidin:** Whoah, thanks a lot but keep in mind to get enough sleep though!  
  
**Lucas:** Erm, ok if you're gonna go off on my fic, don't base it on the first fight. Base it on the whole. If you don't like it, you really don't have to read it. I can do without reviews like yours and without dying of boredom as well. This is my first fic ever and I'm still improving and I've already decided to revise my earlier chapters. Sasuke is not "weak", I hate him yes, but he's not weak. Trust me, later on in my story you'll get your oh so precious "powerful ass". About the curse seal? I don't think it would be appropriate that Sasuke would know how to activate the second level of the curse seal. And well... Curse Seal level 1 vs Kyuubi powered Naruto, you do the math.  
  
**Sue:** Yep we'll find out more about Kumiko a bit later, she ties in with a sequal so not everything is going to be revealed right away. Kakashi will certainly be around more later on.  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Chinese camp? Whatever it is, it sounds kind of grueling. And instead of reading my fic you should've gone to bed eh? Oh and what does "XP" mean, lol. :D  
  
**Dream][Walker3:** Ah man, reviews like yours make my whole day. Thanks! Oh by the way, I love "Redemption of Kyuubi", I read it on Kitsune no Hana. Keep up the great work!  
  
**Kirin Kage the Shadow Girl, ookami-kun, element4life, Crutches, MC-88, Anon, omnidragon, Gopu, SxStrngSamurai13, nothisisnotmyname:** Thank you!!! I really appreciated all your kind words and reviews. :)  
  
Now, let's definitely make it to 200 eh? :D


	11. Reflection of Self

**Do You Hate Me?**  
  
Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.  
  
Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's._  
  
**Chapter 11 – Reflection of Self:**  
  
From the moment after she had woken up, Temari was bothered by something. Even though Naruto had just told her about the demon sealed inside him the day before, she couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't told Gaara yet. Surely her brother must have noticed something during the fight between the two of them a few months ago?  
  
As she got dressed and slipped quietly out of her room, she couldn't restrain herself and opened the door to the bedroom next to hers and peeked through the narrow crack at the boy that had somehow captured her heart. She laughed softly as she saw Naruto snoring loudly with his mouth half- open with his limbs thrown carelessly around him at wide angles. The blue blanket that was part of his futon that only covered his right leg and his stomach completed the picture.  
  
In a slightly morbid way, he looked positively cute and Temari shook her head as she closed the door and went downstairs to cook up some breakfast in the kitchen. Any other day she would have gladly barged loudly into his room, screeching for him to wake up, but not today. Today she would employ another method of waking him up, and from what she had seen in the time she had been around him; this was one-hundred percent foolproof. Therefore, she wasn't surprised at all that after she had grabbed a large wok and a batch of ingredients from the cabinets and refrigerator and had started cooking; she heard a loud banging from upstairs mixed with some mild cursing. Only moments later, a blonde blur came crashing down the stairs screaming "RAMEN!!!" all the while and only stopped when Temari whacked him sharply on the head with her much feared spatula.  
  
Naruto looked at her with a slightly hurt expression and pouted. She had rudely interrupted his ramen-induced craze and he didn't like it when anyone did that. It wasn't his fault that ramen was so delicious was it? He folded his arms in front of his chest and sat down on one of the chairs lining the kitchen table. Naruto's face cleared though, after he had sniffed the air a couple of times. There was something new to the smell of ramen today, it smelled better than the instant ramen and the ramen from Ichiraku stand. He turned his head towards Temari who was now humming softly and busily stirred the food in the large black wok.  
  
Starting to get slightly impatient, Naruto jumped up and grabbed two large white bowls from one of the kitchen cabinets and two pairs of chopsticks from one of its drawers. He sat back down, separated his chopsticks and began tapping them on the kitchen table for no other reason than to distract him of his growling stomach. As it gave a particularly loud growl, Temari stopped humming her own personal tune and placed the wok on the table with a loud clang.  
  
She watched him fill up the two bowls swiftly and only when the seemingly starved boy downed his first bowl and immediately filled it up again did Temari voice her concerns.  
  
"Uhm, Naruto-kun..." She started hesitantly.  
  
"Hmmm?" Naruto uttered, face hidden behind the bowl from which he was currently slurping the last dredges of his second helping.  
  
Inwardly grimacing, Temari couldn't help but wonder in amazement how he could eat so much in so little time and yet not throw up. She shrugged it aside and decided that there was no point beating around the bush. "Have you talked to Gaara yet?"  
  
The blonde boy looked at her with a puzzled expression and scratched his left ear. "Of course I've _talked_ to him."  
  
"You have?" Temari sighed in relief and sunk back into her chair. "So he knows too?"  
  
Now Naruto was really confused and cocked his head sideways slightly. "Knows what?"  
  
Relief quickly turned into anger as the girl clutched her chopsticks tightly in one of her fists and was just about to use them and show Naruto that she was called a Sand-devil for a very good reason. Of course, Naruto was completely oblivious to this fact and only continued to look at her in polite confusion.  
  
Temari gritted her teeth and tried to calm herself, her boyfriend would be of no use to anyone dead. "About what you told me last night, that's what..."  
  
"Oh." Naruto said simply and looked down at the wooden table. "No I haven't yet."  
  
The glare that had just moments radiated from her emerald orbs softened to a sympathetic look. "I know it's difficult, Naruto-kun. But..." She paused there momentarily to put a gentle finger under his chin and forced him to look into her eyes. "My brother needs someone who understands... and so do you."  
  
There, she had said it. Mentally though, she questioned herself on when she had become so 'wise' but she liked it regardless. If Naruto would talk to her brother, maybe he could break down Gaara's shell even further and turn him into an actual likeable person. Sure, he had shown lots of improvement and she was grateful, but other people judged only on first appearances and she didn't want her brother to be shunned like he was when they were younger.  
  
Naruto was on a similar train of thought, from the day he had talked to Tsunade, he had been meaning to talk to Gaara but for some reason he never got around to it. Why hadn't he yet? Was he subconsciously putting it off further and further? Didn't it feel like a huge weight had been lifted of his shoulders when he had explained his rather unique situation to both Tsunade and Temari? Surely Gaara would have to be no different. Heck, maybe they could even become the best of friends, well only after the red-haired boy toned down his killing urge and his crazy fetish for blood a bit more. Maybe Naruto could even help him with it...  
  
The blonde Genin smiled at the girl sitting beside him and put his hands on the table. After only uttering a single syllable his answer was brought to a screeching halt however, when he heard someone shouting outside and soon after a large black-clad mass barreled down the stairs to find the source of the commotion.  
  
Temari and Naruto looked at each other with their eyebrows raised as if to ask one another what was going on. Temari counted her blessings though, as she had been able to have this conversation with Naruto before her obnoxious brother, Kankuro, got downstairs and ruined the whole moment. The two were just about to go outside themselves and find out what was wrong until they heard Kankuro yell outside and stomp back inside, slamming the considerably large front doors as he stalked past the open kitchen door and went back up the stairs. This was soon followed by a wail from someone else. They didn't have to wait long until that person crept cautiously inside the house and peeked around the edge of the door revealing a pretty face topped with long and sleek white hair.  
  
"Kumiko-san!" Naruto exclaimed happily.  
  
"Who?" Temari asked as the girl walked shyly in the kitchen clutching a heavy bag.  
  
Kumiko, having been brought up with excellent manners, quickly bowed, causing her hair to spill in front of her eyes as she introduced herself. "My name is Mikadzuki Kumiko, pleased to meet you."  
  
Looking questioningly at Naruto, and even though the girl had introduced herself, Temari was still wondering who she was and why she was here. More importantly, why was she carrying that bag?  
  
Bouncing out of his seat, the blonde boy walked quickly over to the girl standing there still clutching her heavy bag and took it from her. "Is this all? Where's the rest?"  
  
"It's still outside..." Was the reply.  
  
"Where is Kakashi-sensei, why isn't he helping you?"  
  
This question caused an underlying rage to boil to the surface and the girl quickly got past her shy demeanor that appeared when she was in front of strangers. "He brought me here to the front door and just disappeared on me!" Kumiko said heatedly.  
  
"What?!" Naruto yelled, outraged. "What is he doing? Is he going to read that perverted book of his again?!"  
  
The white-haired refugee huffed. "It wouldn't surprise me!"  
  
"Hey what's going on?!" Temari screamed angrily, because if there was one thing she didn't like, it was to be ignored.  
  
Naruto turned around and looked at her innocently. "You didn't know? Kumiko is going to live here."  
  
An uncomfortable silence followed these words as Temari stood there, open- mouthed, trying desperately to utter a response. When Kumiko started to fidget uncomfortably, the Sand-nin let loose a loud verbal barrage. "SAY WHAT?! WHEN WAS THIS DECIDED?!"  
  
Both members of Team Seven clutched their ears and winced. "Uhm... I'm going outside and make sure my bags don't get stolen..." Kumiko said weakly and ran out of the kitchen, leaving a certain blonde boy to face the brunt of a furious Temari.  
  
Naruto backed away slowly, holding his hands in front of him to ward of any attacks that might come his way. "T-Temari-chan, G-Gaara said it was okay! She's my new teammate; she can't live with that perverted sensei, who knows what he'd do to her!"  
  
"You can't be serious! She's a... She's a..." Temari spluttered. _'A what? A girl? A pretty girl...?'_ She continued in her mind. _'Oh god...'_  
  
"She's a what?" Naruto asked, having no idea what his girlfriend was going on about.  
  
The Kunoichi took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Nothing, never mind. She can stay." Temari said in forced calm. She couldn't be... jealous could she?  
  
Still slightly confused, Naruto moved towards her and grabbed one of her hands with his own. "I'm going to help her carry her stuff inside and I'll talk to Gaara later. It'll be fun having her around, you'll see." He grinned and followed Kumiko outside to help her with her luggage.  
  
Temari however, was not so convinced it was going to be fun. Feeling angry and confused all at once, she grabbed the two bowls from the kitchen table and washed them. Setting the wok in the refrigerator, she wiped her hands on the apron she wore while preparing breakfast. The girl fingered one of her four pigtails, sighed and unconsciously quoted the laziest Shinobi in Konoha. "This is going to be troublesome."

* * *

As she woke up in her perfectly tidy bedroom she couldn't quite understand why she felt like her heart was being squeezed so painfully. But unfortunately, the events of the day before soon hit her like a run-away freight train that bored a hole straight through her very being.  
  
She sniffed once and forced herself to stand up. Even the comfortable warmth of her futon didn't offer any solace against this kind of pain. The girl walked up to the human length mirror that was fastened on the door of a heavy oak cabinet in the corner of her room and looked at herself.  
  
If she was perfectly honest with herself, she looked horrible... dreadful... Puffy pupil-less aquamarine eyes looked at her short navy-blue hair, which was a complete and utter mess. Ugly streaks further marred her pale face; they were silent testimony of the tears that had spilled over her cheeks the day before as she had locked herself away from the rest of the world.  
  
If only the object of her complete devotion could see her now...  
  
He would be glad he hadn't picked her, she was sure of that...  
  
"Naruto-kun..." She whispered softly and reached out to touch the mirror with one of her hands.  
  
She dropped on her knees and bit her lower lip to stop it from trembling. If her father saw her like this, he would probably say that she was a disgrace to the Hyuga Main family, not fit to be the heiress.  
  
Hyuga Hinata... Disgrace to _all_ Hyuga's...  
  
Even her own little sister was better than her...  
  
She couldn't control it anymore and squeezed her eyes shut, damning herself for her own weaknesses as the tears flowed freely. Her fists shook in her lap as she tried to stop herself from being so weak, but she couldn't... She just couldn't...  
  
In her mind she remembered the fight during the Chuunin Exam preliminary match against Hyuga Neji, the man who told her she was nothing and should just give up. Naruto was one of the few that believed in her and shouted encouragements, when everyone else said she would never win.  
  
_"Stop deciding things about people! Idiot! Kick that bastard's ass, Hinata!"_ He had shouted when Neji lectured her about how it was impossible to escape from fate. _"Hinata! Stand up for yourself!"  
_  
It gave her the strength to fight, to keep fighting even when it became apparent she would never win.  
  
_"I won't go back on my words... That is my Ninja way..."  
_  
He even came to her before his fight with Neji. She had confessed to him that when he had cheered her on, she felt like she could change a little, that she could even like herself a little bit more.  
  
_'Not to be perfect, just to be a proud failure... Even when you fail, to have the strength to get up?'_ She remembered herself saying something similar to him, why couldn't she follow her own advice?  
  
_"I thought you were a plain looking dark weirdo... But... A person like you. I really like!"_  
  
Even if he didn't like her the way she liked him, did that mean she just had to sit down and cry? Was it really the end of the world? Well it certainly felt that way now, but she had to get up and keep going. This she _had_ to believe.

* * *

In the Sand siblings' household, a girl was being scrutinized severely and she didn't like it one bit. She had just returned downstairs with her new teammate, Uzumaki Naruto and he seemed to be the only one who treated her kindly. She was certain she didn't like the guy named Kankuro as he stared at her and muttered something now and then that she couldn't quite catch but whatever it was, it couldn't be good. _'What's the deal with him and those overgrown dolls of his anyway?'_ She thought after she had seen him clean some rather humanlike constructs.  
  
The sister, Temari, was still a wild-card. She certainly seemed to hate her the moment she walked into the kitchen this morning and the slightly older girl found out she was going to live with all of them. But now she only looked at her uncertainly. _'Well I'll find out soon enough I guess...'_  
  
Now the one person that was worse than anyone else was the youngest of the siblings... Gaara. _'Doesn't he ever blink?!'_ She thought as she squirmed under his unrelenting cold stare.  
  
Without thinking she moved slightly away from him and bumped into Naruto, and began fiddling with her long hair. "What's up, Kumiko-san?" He chuckled, completely unaware of the building tension in the living room where they were currently residing.  
  
And this was one a bad thing to do, she soon realized as she saw pure malice flash across Temari's green eyes. _'Uh-oh...'  
_  
Kumiko was about to drop all pretenses and run away until the other girl spoke to her through gritted teeth. "Kumiko, why don't you and I go upstairs and make sure you get... _'settled in'_."  
  
If there was one thing she didn't want, it was to be alone with a fellow Kunoichi who was more than willing to rip her head off. She looked at Naruto and silently pleaded for help, but unfortunately for her he stuck true to his reputation and was, as usual, oblivious to the peril his teammate was currently in.  
  
With a few beads of sweat appearing on her forehead, Kumiko got up hesitantly and followed Temari as she stalked out of the living room and upstairs to her room. She was certain that somewhere someone was playing a mournful death march just for her.  
  
As the two girls disappeared from view, Naruto turned to Gaara. "Hey uh... Gaara? Could I talk to you for a second?" He said and looked at Kankuro who for some reason looked particularly gleeful. "Alone?"  
  
Gaara stared at the blonde boy for a few moments before he averted his gaze towards his brother. "Leave."  
  
The puppet-using Genin glared at his younger sibling for a split second before he realized exactly _who_ he was glaring at. Clearly discontent, he growled and got up to his feet. When he was out of earshot, Gaara refocused his attention on Naruto.  
  
"Talk." The possessed boy said simply.  
  
"Well uhm, I wanted to talk to you before and I don't know why I've waited so long, but..." Naruto started and bent slightly forward to look at the floor from the sofa he was sitting on. "You know how you've got that demon inside of you and everything?"  
  
"Shukaku, yes."  
  
"Yeah..." Naruto trailed off and started to stare at the dark rug with a red and gold mosaic pattern that was laid down in the living room in a clear effort to decorate it tastefully. It clashed horrible with the purple draperies which filtered the afternoon sun that shone brightly as if its sole purpose was to light up the spacious living room where the two boys held their current heavily weighted conversation. "Does the name Kyuubi ring any bells?"  
  
Gaara stayed silent for a moment before he closed his eyes. "I believe my father spoke of it once."  
  
"Really? What did he say?"  
  
Opening his eyes again, Gaara sighed almost inaudibly as he remembered the conversation he had with the late Kazekage a number of years ago. "He said that it was an enormous fox that had nine-tails. In a savage rampage it nearly destroyed this village until it was sealed by one of your Hokage's. My father was sorry he couldn't seal it in me as it was apparently more powerful than the demon trapped in an old kettle which they unleashed to possess me while I was still in my mother's womb. He wanted to create the ultimate weapon."  
  
Naruto's stomach contracted painfully. How could anyone be so cruel to their own child? It was this that made him almost glad he didn't have any parents. Almost... During the fight with Gaara a couple months ago, he had realized that they were almost the same. He realized that he could have become like Gaara was once, a mindless killer who murdered only to prove his own existence. And to have a father like he did, it was no surprise at all he had turned out that way.  
  
How it must have hurt...  
  
The pain of all those years... The belief of you being nothing more than a mere weapon for your own father...  
  
Living a tortured existence, only to be used as a _weapon_?  
  
_'That... That bastard!'_ Naruto thought, outrage clearly apparent on his face. He had to help; he had to become a friend of this boy who knew the pain of having a demon inside him. No matter the cost, he was going to make sure that Gaara knew there was more to life than just killing. Naruto had always point-blank refused to become a mere tool for the village, he was going to live his own life and make his own decisions, and he would make sure Gaara would understand how to do that too.  
  
"It was me, the Fourth Hokage sealed Kyuubi inside of me..." Naruto blurted out suddenly. To hell with the consequences, he wasn't going to hold this secret from Gaara any longer.  
  
Only the widening of his eyes betrayed the redhead's emotions until he managed to splutter something. "W-what?!"  
  
Naruto was equally surprised, as far as he knew; hardly anything got any emotion out of Gaara. But it was to be expected. "Yeah I've got a demon inside of me too."  
  
After somewhat recomposing himself, Gaara's thoughts immediately went back to when he had fought Naruto, even in his demon form he hadn't been able to beat him. "So that's why you were able to beat me..."  
  
Even the blonde boy could see that Gaara needed some time to digest this newly revealed information and stood up. He started to walk out of the room, before he turned around. "I-I'd like to be your friend. I know it's not much but it's all I can offer if you, if you'll let me."  
  
He didn't get a response as the Sand-nin stared into space, lost in thought. Deciding he would check on Kumiko and make sure she was indeed getting settled in, his mood was ruined when he heard a familiar voice, sarcasm almost dripping from the words.  
  
**"Wow, you sure handled that well."**  
  
"Shut up you stupid fox!"

* * *

Today was definitely not a good day. He had been dragged out of bed by his mother... _again_. This in itself was needless to say, extremely embarrassing – not to mention troublesome. Only moments later, he had been summoned to the Hokage's office, there he had to endure an hour long of senseless banter with a woman who didn't even bother to cover herself up decently. Then he was sent on a mission which he really didn't want to do, namely to fetch an "important" scroll from a neighbouring village. He was sure it was probably not even that important seeing he didn't have to go to any Shinobi village to get it. He was a Chuunin for crying out loud, what was the use of sending him on such a troublesome mission? All in all, he was definitely ready for bed as he stood in front of his house. Sadly, the day would only get even worse; well he would think it would in a few moments anyway.  
  
"SHIKA-KUUUUUUUUUN!"  
  
Ah... There it was.  
  
He had only just turned his head sideways when he was engulfed in a mass of blonde hair, blue clothing and bandaged limbs.  
  
"Ino?! What the?!" He said, his voice muffled as he tried to disentangle himself from the girl that had literally thrown herself at him. "Get off of me, woman!"  
  
"Shika-kun! I'm glad you're home!" The girl said breathlessly, her face slightly flushed.  
  
"Yeah, I'm home and now I'm going to bed if you don't mind." He said moodily and fished his keys out of one of the many pockets of his flak jacket.  
  
Ino stared at him incredulously. "You're going to sleep? Now? But it's only half past six!"  
  
Shikamaru sighed, he definitely wasn't in the mood for this and was about to explain his reasons to her. That was, until she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to a grassy hill that overlooked the field where the Nara clan kept their deer. She set him down forcefully and grabbed a small brown bag she had carried with her as she dropped in front of him on her knees.  
  
"What's going on?" The Chuunin started but was shushed by Ino immediately.  
  
She grabbed something out of her bag that was square-shaped and wrapped in a checkered napkin and shoved it in Shikamaru's hands.  
  
He scowled at her for a moment but decided it was too troublesome to ask her what it was and instead removed the napkin, revealing a... "Bento box?"  
  
Ino nodded eagerly and smiled brightly. "I made you some lunch and dropped by your house to give it to you but your mother said you were out doing a mission, so I've been waiting to give it to you later. I suppose the food is all cold now, but that's alright, it should still taste good."  
  
Shikamaru however, was slightly apprehensive. Ino had never made anything for him before, and he sincerely doubted if it would taste _good_ as she said it would. He slowly opened it.  
  
The blonde girl noticed this and urged him to hurry up. "Go on, there's no explosive tag in there you know."  
  
Shikamaru, again, wasn't quite sure of her statement but finally opened it, revealing a large portion of soggy rice, mangled bits of sushi and some weird red-brownish things with strange spots on them, which had apparently sprouted legs. "What the hell are those?" He asked as he prodded them carefully with the supplied chopsticks.  
  
To his surprise, Ino squealed in delight. "They're sausage octopuses, aren't they cute?! I've put faces on them and everything."  
  
Nearly face faulting, the black-haired youth responded with a safe; "Er..." 'So that's what those spots on them are.' He thought as he wedged one of them between the two slim pieces of wood.  
  
With her bright blue orbs, Ino trailed the path of the "sausage octopus" to Shikamaru's mouth. He put it past his lips and chewed quickly with his eyes closed.  
  
In one word... It tasted: _'Ewww...´  
_  
Okay, maybe that wasn't a word, but it definitely didn't taste good. Horrible... Awful... Unfit for human consumption... Yes, those words suited the torture his pallet was experiencing perfectly. However, when he opened his dark brown eyes, he met Ino's orbs that were like chips of ice, yet sparkled with warmth, he couldn't bring himself to say this aloud.  
  
"So how was it?"  
  
"It's pretty good..." He muttered and shoved more of the food into his mouth and swallowed it quickly. _´Way too troublesome...´_  
  
Squealing again, the blonde clapped her hands in front of her chest. "Thanks, Shika-kun! It was my first attempt at preparing a bento, I'm glad you like it!"  
  
Shikamaru stayed silent, but winced mentally every time he took a bite. When he looked at Ino's face, however, he found that she seemed truly happy that he thought it was _pretty good_, and that made him feel only worse. Finally finished, he closed the box and handed it back to Ino who stuffed it back in her bag with the crumpled up napkin.  
  
He let out a gargantuan sigh, stretched his arms in the air and dropped himself on his back to look at the sky. Ino placed her brown bag beside her and lied down next to him.  
  
"So you do this often, right?" She said softly.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You just lie back and stare at the clouds?"  
  
"Mhmm..."  
  
They stayed silent, simply lying on their backs like that for a while as the sun dropped towards the horizon, bathing the oddly shaped autumn clouds in a golden light and painting the sky in a majestic purple and orange mix.  
  
"Hey Shika-kun?" Ino finally asked.  
  
"What is it?" Was the grunted reply.  
  
The blonde Kunoichi looked to her side and stared at the black-haired boy. She was certain that what she had prepared had been horrible but Shikamaru ate it all and said it was pretty good. Before she lost her nerve, she dashed her head sideways to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks..."  
  
A blush stained Shikamaru's face as he looked at her in shock. He quickly looked up at the sky again though and put his hand on the spot where he had been kissed. "...Yeah..."

* * *

__

_Urgh that's it, this is all I have to show you after two weeks. Part of it was laziness and another part was because I had trouble with certain scenes. I'm sure some of you will have noticed this. Maybe I'll revise this chapter again soon but I don't know for sure.  
  
Anyway, many thanks to my beta "refused" who helped me spot some very, VERY stupid errors among other things.  
  
Oh well, next up: Kumiko and Kankuro clash, Sakura and Lee sparring session, Team seven meets up without their sensei to get to know each other a little better and who knows what else.  
  
By the way, I put a sort of progress thing on my profile, that way you can see how far along I am with the next chapter if you're interested :) And the first chapter has been revised, I'll replace the current one later tonight since I've got a buddy of mine coming over and I can't really do my thing on while he's standing clueless now eh?  
  
On to the review response!  
  
**refused:** We both know I'm still not as bad as you are. I hope you liked this one as well eh? Especially beta-ing it for me. :}  
  
**Princess-Tsunade:** Thanks for the review and kind words, princess, I promise I'll review your story soon too. I just don't know what to say eh? My reactions are usually worthless when compared to yours =/  
  
**One Azn Dragon:** Maybe, maybe not, you'll just have to see. I thought there was romance, especially the first scene... But anyway I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Maybe I'll catch ya on Tokeh's forum.  
  
**esanime:** Thank you for the kind words. Yep, the deal with Kyuubi will involve some pretty neat stuff.  
  
**Crimson-Strike:** Hinata will probably find someone else, but I don't know if it will be soon though...  
  
**Black Fyre Dragun:** Haha, thanks for the review, I'm glad you like it so much. The questions will be answered soon.  
  
**tear drops:** Er... Don't worry it won't be Kiba/Hina, that much I can tell ya.  
  
**Peradis:** Thanks for the review, Update yours soon too eh? :P  
  
**kashisenshey:** Nope, I won't change Naruto/Temari, thanks for the review!  
  
**Max Knight:** Thanks a lot, I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. Yeah I guess the scene could use some work but I'll change it after I've revised the chapters before that and it could take a while I'm afraid.  
  
**Anime Lance:** All will be revealed, and Kakashi will beg for mercy... Well maybe not but something like that anyway :P  
  
**Yondaime-samaKazaraYume:** A fifteen out of ten? Isn't that a bit much? But I'm honoured you like it that much. :)  
  
**Inferno-Dragonz:** Ewww, that's gotta suck. I'm glad you made it out in one piece though.  
  
**Kuwabaras pupil:** Hinata will end up with someone I'm sure, it won't be Kiba that's for certain... As for Shino... Who knows? I'm really not sure yet.  
  
**Crutches:** Yeah she has a, as Princess-Tsunade says, foot in the mouth disease and she'll be in a great shock next chapter!  
  
**weirddramagirl:** Ahhh, if only I could claim ownership on that line, but alas. It's written by Diana, but it's awesome though eh? I wasn't really planning a Sakura/Lee interaction in the next chapter but just for you I will, I hope you'll enjoy it!  
  
**swtjemz:** I can't say too much on Sasuke, but he'll play a major role later on I promise :)  
  
**Lucas:** I don't think your first review was really harsh, it was just bullshit. I stand by my opinion that Sasuke would not know how to activate the second level of the cure seal. Anyway, I'm not going to reply to the rest, it's no use if you have a "high standard". (No it's not meant as a flame or anything like that) I'm proud of what I've done so far and I keep improving.  
  
**ookami-kun:** Oh hell yeah, there's going to be some interaction between Kumiko and Kankuro, it would be a shame to give up on the chance to do that. :P  
  
**Ice Dragon XXI:** Hehe, thanks. When you've posted the prologue let me know, I'll read and review :)  
  
**Kirin Kage the Shadow Girl, im an idiot, element4life, Glorious Vanity, unforgiven, kai013, Some Guy, Cookie6, Orphen4, David, Jinnai, Kugia, Uchiha-Sasuke, trickmaster:** Thanks! I really appreciate all of your kind words; hopefully you'll all review again!  
  
I love all the reviews, please keep them coming! :D_


	12. Passing the Limit

**Do You Hate Me?**

Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.__  
  
__Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's._

**Chapter 12 – Passing the Limit: **

"You're not putting enough strength into it!"

"I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

When the rest of Konoha was having either dinner or relaxing after a hard day's work, two young Genins could be seen on training field Four, performing a series of kicks that would undoubtedly leave their unfortunate victims with shattered bones and battered flesh.

The boy, in a tight green jumpsuit, had removed his shirt and had it tied around his waist. He was crouched, dark eyes fixed intently on his sparring partner, his bare-chested torso with lean and supple muscles glistening with sweat from today's work-out. Even if the temperature kept dropping daily, the exertion of today's sparring session heated the both of them generously.

His partner, a girl with pink hair, had already discarded the black jacket she wore today and was panting heavily as she sent a glare so intense that the green-clad boy should have been able to feel it. However, the boy ignored it as he simply gazed back steadily with stoic determination. In the back of her mind she was grateful, but that was quickly shoved aside by her volatile inner-self as she kept repeating two words over and over like a mantra...

'_Kill him! Kill him! KILL HIM!!!' _

Straightening, the boy flexed his muscles, tossing his head from side to side to loosen the strain in his neck and shoulders, his glossy black hair with its distinctive black bowl haircut glinting as it caught the dying beams of the already setting sun.

After distancing his feet and crouching again, he put one bandaged arm behind his back and beckoned the girl with the other one to invite her to attack. "Again."

The pink-haired girl inhaled deeply, causing her nostrils to flare, and exhaled slowly through her mouth. She closed her eyes and settled into a relaxed stance as she prepared herself for the move her male training partner had continuously drilled into her brain for the better part of the day. With the added weights it had become even more difficult to learn.

Beating down the murderous part of herself, she forced herself to clear her mind and focus herself solely on this new technique. They stood like that for a few moments until the girl's bright green eyes snapped open and she twisted her body sideways.

"KONOHA GOURIKI SENPUU!!!" (Leaf Herculean Wind)

With a loud yell, the Kunoichi jumped up and turned into a miniature whirlwind as she sent herself spinning forwards, left leg stretched as far as it would go, with as much strength as she could muster. The only thing going through her head at that particular moment was to crush the skull, and subsequently the brain, of her voluntary victim with the back of her booted heel.

Acting quickly, the black-haired boy darted to the side and shifted his weight to one leg to counter the impact of the blow as he used both arms to block her kick. After the soft slap of the boy's bandaged palms hitting her flesh, the girl let out a strangled cry and hit the ground with a loud thud.

"No more." She managed to gasp, chest heaving with every laboured breath she took.

The boy slipped on his green shirt and walked over to her. He smiled as he examined the exhausted girl with her sweaty face that had a large number of pink strands that clung stubbornly to her forehead and cheek. "That was great, Sakura-chan." He stated proudly and she knew by the tone of his voice that he had meant every word.

Things had definitely changed during the last few days. Under the threat of unimaginable torture, he had taken a harsher attitude when it came to his beloved Sakura. Inwardly though, he cried every time he said that her technique was flawed, or when she didn't push herself hard enough which caused him to do it for her. But even he could see that there was something troubling her, he was sure she could have picked up this new technique a lot quicker.

With her breaths slowly returning to their regular rhythm, he sprawled down next to her on the damp grass while she muttered a quick thanks for his compliment. He was about to ask her what was bothering her, when she suddenly spoke up.

"Lee-kun..."

"Yes, Sakura-chan?" He inquired.

"I think I hurt someone a lot yesterday..." She started and let out a remorseful sigh.

Lee knew better than to interrupt her and therefore waited patiently until she continued.

"Do you know Hinata? Hyuga Hinata?" The pink-haired Kunoichi asked.

The boy's dark round eyes stared at the girl in confusion. "Of course, she's the one who fought Neji in the preliminaries, right? His cousin, from the Hyuga Main family?"

Sakura propped herself up on her elbows and looked at her feet in obvious shame. "I talked to her yesterday... And..." She paused here to twiddle her feet nervously. "I might have told her something I shouldn't have..."

'_My dear Sakura-chan, no matter what you could have told Hinata-san, my love for you is as a raging inferno that will consume anything that might stand in our way!'_ In the back of his mind, a miniature Lee stood with fire in his eyes and a shaky fist held in the air in front of him. The mini-Lee ranted on and on, proclaiming his undying devotion to his female companion and Lee almost didn't hear Sakura continue about what was bothering her.

"I think almost everyone knew about her affection for Naruto, everyone except him. But he told me he had gotten a girlfriend a few days ago..."

"Really?! Naruto-kun has a girlfriend?!" Lee said quickly, but it came out as choked sob. _'Yet another thing you have bested me in, Naruto-kun! You truly are my eternal rival!'_

Sakura kept on talking, point-blank ignoring the black-haired boy's surprise. "...And I thought it was Hinata. So I went to find her and asked her about it, but she isn't his girlfriend... I think she's really hurt, Lee-kun, what should I do?"

This was Lee's moment to shine, he jumped up and struck his favorite 'Good-Guy' pose; one hand on his hip, the other high into the air as far as it would go and a beaming smile that glittered, even though it was dark, on his face. "Do not worry Sakura-chan! Youth Power will prevail!!!"

"Eh?"

"Hinata-san will surely grow stronger and become a much-desired lady!" He proclaimed and punched both of his fists into the air. "Yes!" _'Gai-sensei, be proud of me! One day I will be as wise as you!'_

But, even if Lee was convinced that Hinata would probably get over her pain in time, at least that was what Sakura thought he meant, she wasn't too sure. From what she had seen, the only moment when Hinata had truly stood up for herself and had been strong was when Naruto had been cheering her on. If no-one else could make her do that, what would happen to her?

Unbeknownst to her though, Lee was already thinking about other things. Mainly if Naruto did indeed have a girlfriend, that meant he wasn't pining after Sakura anymore. And that in turn meant that the odd-looking Taijutsu specialist would be the only one chasing after Sakura. He thanked Naruto for this chance and would from now on go to even greater lengths in his great quest, focused on proclaiming his undying love to the pink-haired girl and make her his.

Deciding to brood more on this matter later, Lee walked over to where Sakura had dropped her jacket and handed it back to her. "We've made excellent progress today, Sakura-chan. Tomorrow we will definitely perfect the technique we practiced."

Sadly for him, the Kunoichi had other plans. "I'm sorry, Lee-kun, but I'm going to meet up with my teammates tomorrow. We haven't gotten to know Kumiko-san properly yet." She said and almost took pity on the sad expression on the black-haired boy's face. She had told him about the new addition to her team after she had first met her but had been too busy with her training to do anything else at the time.

After they said their goodbyes and headed towards their respective homes, Sakura had only one thought on her mind. _'I'll find out who your girlfriend really is, Naruto, or I'll die trying!'_

Indeed, find out she would, but not without a small amount of shock...

* * *

A serene morning greeted Konoha the next day. The birds that hadn't left for warmer regions yet were chirping merrily as they scavenged for food. The pale sun was just rising to the dreary sky as the inhabitants of the village were eating breakfast or were in the process of waking up. Of course, a mix of the two was more widely applicable.

Yet for one girl, this was anything _but_ a serene morning...

"Shut up already you twit!"

"Don't call me a twit!"

"Why wouldn't I?! If you don't like it, just go play with your dollies!"

"They're not dolls damnit! They're puppets!"

"Well you sure could have fooled me!"

"W-what?!"

"Yeah you heard me, cooing at them like they're your stupid playmates! Is that why you cover your face in paint? Don't people notice you otherwise?!"

"W-WELL SCREW YOU!"

"GO SCREW YOUR "PUPPETS"!!!"

Yep, Mikadzuki Kumiko had _snapped_. She had gotten a less then friendly welcome yesterday when she finally moved in, but this morning it had been even worse. She could stand the glare she got from the only other female resident of the large house; with whom she had shared a tense and uncomfortable conversation as she "helped" her get settled in her room. She could even deal with the creepy stare from the red-headed guy who seemed to suffer from severe sleep deprivation. But when that... that... _boy_... said something along the lines of having another useless brat inside the house, she got mad...

_Really_ mad...

The other person who lived here, sat there in the kitchen with blonde disheveled hair and wide round blue eyes as he saw the shouting match in front of him. He had _never_ expected that his new teammate, who as far as he could tell was normally shy, would blow up like this. When his other teammate, Sakura, would proceed to beat him senseless after he had relentlessly hounded her to get her to go out with him, it was still nothing compared to this.

Even his girlfriend, Temari, with her shrewd and calculating mind, sat there gaping on her seat, completely and utterly perplexed.

The boy, who was being yelled at, was addressed by his red-haired brother as he steadied himself for a burning retort. "Kankuro, be silent. She is our guest. Treat her as such. If you disgrace us any further I will..." He paused there for a moment, carefully considering his words. He had almost said he would kill his older brother, that wouldn't look to good. It seemed old habits died hard after all... "...hurt you..."

Kankuro, already lost for words, was outraged that his brother would take the side of this obnoxious little brat. He puffed himself up until his face became bright red like a tomato, which could probably not have been covered up by the paint he had not smeared on his face yet.

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH!!!"

As he let out this thunderous roar, he stomped heavily out of the kitchen and up the stairs to lock himself up in his room and slammed his door shut in obvious protest and indignation.

It was only at that time that Kumiko calmed down and took in the shocked faces of Naruto and Temari. Gaara of course, only stared at her without a hint of emotion on his face. She didn't know what to think of _him_. He kept staring at her like he had nothing better to do. But apparently he was the one that held all the authority and he had allowed her to live in their house for the time being after all.

Unbeknownst to her however, there was a mix of emotions beneath that impassive mask of his. Emotions he didn't know how to deal with. Just the day before he had found out that there was someone other than him who had a demon inside of him. Actually he had already guessed that Naruto should have some extra power but he had never expected this. On top of that, he had actually offered to become his friend...

Nobody in their right mind would want to like Gaara, yet Naruto did.

To be perfectly honest, he really didn't know what to do, but he did figure he would have to have another talk with the blonde Genin. And if he didn't want to explain all of these alien things that Gaara felt? Well... There were always limbs he could crush and rip off.

As an uncomfortable silence fell, Kumiko sat down quickly and attempted to cover her blushing face with her small hands, but failed miserably. Thankfully she didn't need to bother explaining why she flew off the handle like that to the rest of the inhabitants of this house as a loud and impatient rapping on the front door caught all of their attention.

Counting her blessings, Kumiko watched Naruto bounce off his seat and run towards the front door to open it and greet the visitor. A moment later, a pink-haired girl walked into the kitchen after a grinning Naruto.

The blonde boy clutched one hand behind his head and used his other to introduce the girl to the sand-nins. "Sakura-chan, this is Temari-chan." He said, pointing towards a girl who was obviously not happy about something. "And uh, I believe you've already met Gaara, hehehe..."

Indeed she had, and her eyes widened in disbelief as she saw him. She had been vaguely aware of Gaara's presence when they brought back Sasuke but she remembered that horrible form of his when they pursued him During the Sound and Sand invasion Her nightmares from then on had often contained a horrible monster with pulsing purple veins and huge claws grabbing her and slowly squeezing her to death against a massive tree.

"Yeah, we've met..." She trailed off and refocused her attention on Kumiko. "Hello Kumiko-san, do you live here as well now?"

The white-haired girl nodded her head quickly, eager for an escape from the awkward happenings scant minutes ago. "Yes, Gaara-san graciously allowed me to stay."

While the two girls continued their banter which contained no useless information whatsoever, Temari looked suspiciously at Naruto and then at Sakura. What was with this 'chan' business? Even if she was his teammate, he had no right to call her Sakura-_chan_. Almost lost in her slightly paranoid thoughts, she quickly snapped to attention as the pink-haired 'invader' outlined the plans she had cooked up for the day.

"...Well I thought we could get to know each other a little better. So how about going to a training-field and maybe after we've talked a little bit we can show each other some of our abilities?" She explained.

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto yelled delightedly, never missing the chance to show off his cool and flashy moves "But I'm going to get a new one soon. Kakashi-sensei thought it up for me!"

In one swift motion, the Kunoichi from the Sand jumped up, grabbed Naruto's right arm and refused to let go. "Naruto-kun, could I come along?" She said in a seductive purr, which immediately caused a faint red to stain his cheeks.

_'Eh?! What the hell?!'_ Sakura thought. _'No way... Surely that can't mean that she's... his girlfriend?'_ She shook her head as if to banish these ridiculous thoughts from her head and locked her bright green eyes on the slightly flustered male Genin.

"Uhm... Sure, I don't mind Temari-chan! I'd like to see your moves as well!" He said and looked at both his female team members to confirm if it was indeed alright for her to come along.

He got a curt nod from the both of them and then immediately ran up the stairs to his room to get ready. This left a red-haired boy sitting at the kitchen table, feeling slightly amused for some odd reason.

* * *

Several minutes later, the party of four was under way. Sakura led them all towards the training-field she had used almost every day with Rock Lee in a quest to become stronger.

She smiled to herself, today all that hard work was surely going to impress her teammates. Sure she still needed a lot more training but doubtlessly she had improved and she wouldn't have to be left behind anymore just because she wasn't able to make a difference in a fight.

Her smile quickly turned sour though as she looked behind her, seeing an unsure Kumiko walking next to Temari who still clung stubbornly to Naruto's arm. He himself was also wondering what was going on, Temari had never been clingy like this before. But he didn't mind, actually he quite frankly enjoyed himself.

When they had arrived at the field after a short walk, they sat themselves on the damp grass, but it was obvious that Naruto was eager to get things started so he could show off his Jutsu's. He didn't know many Jutsu's yet, but the ones he did know were awesome, in his own opinion.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched slightly in annoyance as she saw the quivering and excited form of Naruto. "Why don't we all just state our likes and dislikes and our dreams for the future. Just like we did when we first got assigned as Team Seven, ok Naruto?"

"Sure!" He yelled happily.

Kumiko watched Naruto and was amazed by his happy and carefree attitude. _'He sure is interesting.'_ The white-haired girl thought and let a small smile appear on her face.

'_What the hell is she playing at?'_ The other girl of the group thought. Temari was not happy about having her boyfriend surrounded by these _girls_, not happy at all. What was more; she had no idea what she was going to say. She disliked a lot of things, but didn't like much. Well there was one thing though of course... But what about her dream? Did she even have one?

Her musing was interrupted however, when Sakura spoke up. "I'll go first." She said and furrowed her eyebrows slightly as she tried to transform her thoughts into words carefully. "Well, I like training and I like flowers a lot. I hate it when people tell me I'm weak and my dream is to become a great Kunoichi who can fend for herself." She nodded as if to confirm this to herself and pointed at Naruto who now resembled a quivering object on an obvious sugar-high "You go next, Naruto."

"Ok!" He shouted and then grinned rather stupidly. "Well I like... Uhm I like Temari-chan, hehehe. And I like ramen! Yeah! I hate it when people hurt Temari-chan and I hate it when people underestimate me!" He blushed slightly, and gave the girl sitting next to him a slight squeeze as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and used the other to scratch the back of his head. "My dream is to become Hokage, so I can protect my friends and the people I, uh... Love..."

Kumiko thought it was extremely cute of Naruto to say all this but Temari was struck speechless. "Naruto-kun, I... I..." She began but became silent once more as she saw those sapphire orbs gaze adoringly at her.

Sakura was silent for a whole different reason, yet inside her mind a flurry of questions and shouts of amazements followed each other in rapid succession. _'No... No way! No way in hell! Temari?!'_

From what she had seen, the Sand-nin had been nothing but cruel, yet here she was, obviously all lovey-dovey with her male teammate. Could things get any weirder? Slightly in a daze, she motioned for Kumiko to start.

"Uhm, I like training as well, especially with a Katana. I also like to go... shopping." She admitted quickly and blushed furiously, but found none of them making any comments about it so she continued. "I dislike living with Kakashi-sensei. My dream is... Well my dream is to restore my clan's honour."

She got a few surprised responses from this, they had heard she was a refugee from the hidden Moon village, but had this something to do with the apparent dishonour of her clan?

"What happened to your clan, Kumiko-san?" Sakura asked curiously.

The white-haired Kunoichi's expression was filled with sorrow. "I'd rather not talk about that right now..."

Naruto nodded in understanding. Possibly more than Temari and Sakura would, he understood the need to keep a secret. Therefore, in an effort to lift the mood slightly, he prodded the girl next to him to start and tell the rest a bit about herself.

Temari looked hesitant for a minute but decided that she might as well 'share' with the others. She cleared her throat and began. "I dislike a lot of things, mainly weak opponents who aren't worth my effort and certain _people_ who need to stay away from _other_ people." She said this through gritted teeth and Kumiko and Sakura could literally _feel_ the burning glare she sent their way.

It only now became apparent to the pink-haired girl why she would do that and Sakura nearly laughed out loud at the very thought that she'd try and steal away Naruto, but any thoughts like that were quickly banished by the slight feeling of dread that the Sand-nin inspired.

"I like cooking and I like..." She trailed off and nudged Naruto slightly, which caused him to chuckle in slight embarrassment. "And... I don't have a dream I'd like to follow."

Wide blue eyes turned to her in shock. "Eh?! Why not?" Naruto asked bluntly.

Temari sighed and shook her head sadly. "I just don't, I never really had one." _'Not that I really had the chance...'_ She added as an afterthought.

The girl with her four spiky pigtails quickly got annoyed though at the looks of pity she received from the two other girls and was about to tell them where to shove them until Naruto spoke up loudly.

"That's alright Temari-chan! We'll find your dream eventually!"

Nearly face-faulting, the girl didn't know whether to strangle Naruto for embarrassing her or to kiss him senseless for being so caring and cute. She chose a mild form of the latter and gave him a lingering kiss on the cheek which sent Sakura into a state of shock once more. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."

The Genin merely chuckled and flashed his trademark foxy grin at her. "Now come on, I want you to see my cool moves!" He jumped up and ran a short distance from the three girls.

A slight pang of sadness ran through Kumiko's body as she watched him, his cheerful attitude reminded her so much of her...

Well, best not to think of that now. Truth be told, she was quite curious to see the abilities of her teammates and pondered whether she should really show them her own true abilities as well...

But _it_ had already cost her so much, there was no way she could show it to them. Not yet...

No, the fewer people that knew of it, the better...

Three sets of eyes swiveled towards the boy as he took a focused stance and formed a middle index cross with his hands. After inhaling deeply, he bellowed; "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

With a loud poof, a small cloud of smoke appeared next to Naruto. After it dispersed, another identical Naruto stood grinning broadly at the three girls. Both of them spoke in unison. "Cool huh?"

Absent-mindedly running a hand through her flyaway strands of hair that refused to be held together by her braid, Sakura gazed at Naruto in perplexed confusion and grudging admiration – it was amazing how he was able to use this technique so successfully every time!

Temari of course, was proud. She mainly judged people by their strength and she had heard of this move and knew it was supposed to be hard to pull off. But she expected nothing less of the teenager that had defeated her little brother.

Kumiko however, let her jaw drop to the ground. "Kage Bunshin...? I-isn't that Jounin level?" She stuttered.

Her village, although reclusive, was knowledgeable of the techniques from other villages. As far as she knew, no-one in her entire village had been able to use this technique. Even though certain techniques were exclusive to certain villages, that didn't stop the able Shinobi's of the Hidden Moon to try and master them.

The blonde boy nodded proudly, this technique was his favorite by far. Nothing else could give him the satisfaction of beating an enemy to a pulp with a small army of his own tangible clones. "Ok, are you guys ready for the other technique I'm going to show you?"

Without waiting for any response, his features were suddenly tense and strained in obvious concentration as he grabbed his right arm by the wrist with his left hand, his fingers tightly clutched around it.

Never telling anyone, Naruto had secretly trained this technique. Running off whenever he had time to spare.

'_I can do this...Now I'm beginning to understand how this technique was done...'_

The boy's pressure on his own wrist increased, as his left hand remained locked in position, instead of using it to perform the usual rapid stabbing motion which brought to life the spinning energized ball of whirling chakra...

Blue eyes narrowed in strained concentration, teeth gritting almost painfully, his muscles complained as they always did when he took on so much strain...

But his body tingled with triumph, the pinnacle of the sense of achievement...

Because he had now slowly, slowly perfected the technique of this chakra bullet, achieving the one-handed focus of chakra that had first defined it...

This pure, raw energy in his palm was the true essence of the technique he had acquired so long ago...

And now it was perfected... 

To the silent and awed audience, it seemed that at first nothing seemed to happen... Until suddenly the girls felt the beginnings of a slight breeze, a light gust of swirling wind that gradually increased in intensity.

A mischievous smile seemed to tug at Naruto's lips as he stared at his calloused palm, but it was quickly squashed as he clenched his jaws even harder in concentration.

Ghostly white tendrils of pure energy randomly spinning around his hand were suddenly focused, forming a growing ball that hovered on a single point just above his palm.

The whiteness started to pulsate into a quickening beat as it began to form into a round object and after a few more seconds Naruto yelled out loudly in triumph. "Rasengan!"

The girls' eyes widened, even Sakura who had seen it before. All of them, although unknowingly, agreed on one point; it was beautiful. A perfect glowing white orb, that shone brightly as if to banish all darkness away, was situated into Naruto's open hand as he held it in front of him.

His intense blue gaze flickered slightly to his astounded, silent audience, and then alighted on the energized ball spinning and hovering on his palm...

Sure he had finally managed to conjure the Rasengan with one hand, and he was quite proud of that fact. But he what he really wanted was to show the raw _power_ of the technique. After all, its goal was hardly to shut his enemies up by impressing them with its prettiness.

Dismissing his clone, the blue eyes scanned the many trees that lined the training-field, finally focusing on one with a particularly thick trunk.

The awed spectators watched the boy crouch slightly, beads of sweat lining his forehead. Briefly, he met their gaze and grinned toothily before he became an orange streak, swiftly leaping towards his target, his right arm poised in a backwards thrust, like a coiled spring...

Three pairs of widened eyes could just stare in stunned silence as they watched him hurtle towards the stout tree, a glowing, pulsing orb creating a blinding blur before him...

It had all happened so quickly, that suddenly the thrust of his arm into the tree trunk seemed to happen with the slowest of motions... Numbly the girls watched, but nothing prepared them for what happened next...

A blinding flash as his arm met the tree, then... a moment later...

The tree exploded.

A huge shockwave ripped through the tree with a horrendous force, knocking the wind out of the three girls as it washed over them, carrying an endless spray of large chunks of wood and splinters out the back of the now shattered tree trunk.

Flinging their arms protectively across their faces, the girls saw the debris litter the ground. As the orb of swirling chakra dissipated, it left a stunned silence in its wake...

That is until, with a loud groan, the tree's years of peaceful existence were extinguished as it fell down to the earth, unable to support its weight any longer due to the gaping hole replacing what was once its gnarled trunk.

"Holy..." Sakura began.

"...crap!" Kumiko finished.

"..." Was Temari's silent response, her jaw nearly dropping to the ground.

'_Hmm, maybe I went a little overboard...'_ Naruto mused as he took in the gaping forms of the girls.

As he slowly walked back towards the rest of them, Kumiko was beginning to feel slightly intimidated by the level of skill of her new teammate. If the other one, Sakura, was also this talented, could she even begin to compare? She had her own techniques, but compared against that Rasengan technique...

Sakura's eyes bulged though when she heard Naruto calmly explain that he had a summon too. He said he couldn't show it to them because he still wasn't really able to control his chakra properly yet. For all he knew he might summon a small frog or the boss of all frogs; the incredibly large Gamabunta.

She looked around to see if anyone else was surprised, and indeed they were but for a whole other reason. Their minds were still trying to take in the destructive power of the Rasengan. Unbeknownst to Sakura, she was the only one of the group who didn't have a summon.

Shaking herself out of a slight daze, Sakura stood up and told the rest she would go next. She still wore her weights so that they would provide _some_ protection against what she was about to do. She explained to the three others that she didn't knew much Ninjutsu or Genjutsu yet, aside from basic techniques like Henge no Jutsu, Bunshin no Jutsu and Kawarimi no Jutsu, but was training vigorously with Rock Lee to improve her skills in Taijutsu. It served two purposes, one was to increase her normal stamina and strength, and the other benefit would be an increased chakra reserve which she desperately needed.

Now was the time to prove to herself and others, that her training had indeed started to pay off.

She picked out a tree that luckily didn't get picked for Naruto's display of his destructive technique and took a relaxed pose as she focused all her strength in her legs and midriff, rotating her upper body sideways as far as it would go.

Taking a deep breath, she held it fast in her lungs and bent her knees slightly to prepare herself for the jump. After a short moment, she let the gulp of air go in a loud cry; "Konoha Gouriki Senpuu!"

Jumping forwards and spinning like a savage tornado she struck the trunk with her heel, making the whole tree shudder and groan in protest.

All the leaves that had not fallen yet, floated down to the ground gently, a stark contrast with the horrible ten-inch dent marring the tree trunk.

The rest began to wonder if this was it, the extent of Sakura's new strength...

But any and all murmurs of puzzlement were quickly silenced by sharp snaps and cracking noises as the tree keeled over ever so slowly. Aided mercilessly by gravity, it dropped towards the earth with a loud echoing boom.

'_Whoah! She's like obaa-chan!'_ Was Naruto's immediate thought as he saw the violent scene in front of him.

Although still working hard, the pink-haired girl did indeed show the affinity for, as Jiraiya put it, the 'freaky strength' that Tsunade possessed. Coupled with Sakura's random maniacal outbursts, in other words when her inner-self would gain control, she could very well become a force to be reckoned with. That thought alone made Naruto proud yet also shudder.

"Eh?! That's it?!"

Sakura, still panting slightly, turned slowly at the sneering, scoffing tone, at the bluntness of the words.

Temari met her glaring eyes defiantly. "That's all you can do?" The Sand-nin wasn't impressed at all. Nearly _everyone_ could fell a tree in one strike.

Sakura felt her body tensing as a vein started to throb dangerously on her forehead. "What did you say?!" She screeched, her fury rising.

"You heard me! That's basic kiddy stuff, you're nothing without some good Ninjutsu or Genjutsu!" Temari shouted, still in her jeering tone, and rose menacingly to her feet, her fists clenched.

Even though Sakura knew that Temari was right, she couldn't let that comment slide. There was someone who was a great Shinobi regardless if he could use Ninjutsu and Genjutsu or not. "Shut up! That doesn't matter at all you stupid bitch!"

"Why you little..." The Sand-nin was fuming, how dare that little pink... _weed_ insult her like that...

Growling ominously, and not once taking her intent gaze from the furious pink-haired girl, she crouched briefly to retrieve her fan, which she had set down beside her when they had arrived at the training grounds...

Seeing that Temari was quite ready to beat the snot out of his teammate, Naruto gulped and his first reaction was to duck for cover and hope that this would blow over, but he knew that he had to diffuse the volatile situation somehow.

Eyes darting between the two young women, he rose to one knee, wondering whether he should jump in between them and possibly sacrifice his life in the process... However, Kumiko, who had remained silent up until this point, beat him to the punch.

As Temari and Sakura were stalking towards one another, sparks flying between their hateful glares, they were stopped from getting any closer by a long and sharp metal object.

Silently and with amazing speed, Kumiko had grabbed her beautifully ornamented katana that no one had previously noticed and used it to slice through the air vertically between the two glowering girls.

Its pure ivory handle held securely and confidently by the white-haired girl who gave the other two a look that said plainly; "Don't go any further, you won't like the consequences."

That went nearly unnoticed by Temari and Sakura however, as they gazed at the beauty of the blade. Aside from the precious ivory, the handle was also studded with a perfectly cut diamond and three round pearls inlaid in both sides.

But even with the beautiful jewels, it still radiated simplicity. The sparse sunlight that filtered through the clouds was reflected off the perfectly curved blade, its stunning silvery beauty indicating its rare and precious metal lineage. All of this almost made it seem like the katana was housing an unearthly spirit... No, a _divine_ spirit. Even moments after it cut through the air, it still hummed and vibrated as if it was energy itself, as if otherworldly beings were whispering their untold secrets...

Kumiko saw the two back off, although reluctantly, and stated calmly that she would go next. With a fluid motion she returned the blade to it's snow white lacquered sheath that, in comparison to the katana itself, looked very plain indeed.

After this quick and unplanned exhibition that clearly showed Kumiko's skill with the sword, the two other girls seated themselves next to Naruto, who was quite eager to see what else his new teammate could do.

She shook her head slightly, making her sleek white hair to ripple gently in the wind, and reached into a pocket of her light-blue jacket to grab a simple black ribbon. She placed it in her mouth to hold it and used both her hands to bundle her hair in a simple yet effective ponytail. She couldn't allow her pure white strands to get in her way, needing to maintain all of her attention on the movements she was going to perform.

Facing the other three, she distanced her feet and relaxed into a comfortable position, knees slightly bent and hands resting on the sheath and handle of her sword. She closed her silver eyes to stare into the hidden space only she could enter through the darkness of the back of her eyelids. The gateway to her inner-peace, the place she visited in her mind when she needed to focus completely. Once, it was a widely used meditation technique by her now extinct clan...

As if timing her movements to her own inner-melody, accompanied by the thumping rhythm of her heartbeat, she slowly extracted the blade and brought it overhead, simultaneously lifting her left foot to the side of her right knee. She stood motionless like that for a moment, making her seem like a perfect picture of serenity.

Returning her foot to the soil and shifting her weight to her right side, she sliced the sharp edge through the air, ever so delicately balancing the blade between her slender thumb and index finger...

With practiced perfection she gracefully swirled around, arms extended as her hands gripped the ivory handle confidently, striking down imaginary foes...

She weaved the katana into complex motions only few could perform, shifting her weight slightly to maintain her balance, to continue her beautiful and lethal dance...

Leaping backwards she flipped in the air, immediately bringing the katana in for a sideways sweep. She made a final twirl and blindly let her blade return to its sheath. After what seemed like a blissful eternity, Kumiko opened her eyes, her silvery depths still in trance-like state as she stared into nothingness.

The three that had been watching this awesome spectacle, felt themselves release a breath they didn't they had been holding.

Naruto and Sakura tried to find words to compliment Kumiko, but only found themselves able to let out a stream on nonsensical babbling.

Temari was uncharacteristically silent. She desperately wanted to form a venomous comment about the things the white-haired girl had displayed, but the sheer beauty of it all was still fresh on her mind.

Coming to her senses, Kumiko let her unsure gaze stray over to the three others, and always feeling self-conscious about herself, she took their gaping forms the wrong way. "D-did I do something wrong?" She asked them hesitantly.

"No!" Naruto and Sakura immediately yelled.

"T-that was... _beautiful_..." The pink-haired Kunoichi breathed.

"Yeah!" Naruto affirmed, nodding brightly several times.

Kumiko beamed at them and scurried over to where they sat on the grass. _'Did they really like it? It wasn't just for show though...'_ She thought as she tried hard not to feel too pleased about her performance.

"Hmmph, it was alright." Temari scoffed and folded her arms in front of her chest. After seeing Naruto praising his teammate so readily, she felt anger boiling inside of her and with it, came the focus to speak clearly again. _'Stupid little... Who the hell does she think she is anyway...'_

"Oi, oi! Kumiko-san, I can't wait till you teach me how to use that cool sword!"

"Eh?!" Sakura and Temari exclaimed.

Naruto looked at the both of them with an eyebrow raised. "I told you, Kakashi-sensei developed this technique for me. Kumiko is going to help me how to use it properly." He said as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I am?" Kumiko asked with a puzzled expression. "Nobody told me anything."

"But Kakashi-sensei said..."

"He did huh?!" The white-haired girl interrupted hotly. _'When I get my hands on him...'_ "He should be glad I don't live with him anymore!"

"Yeah, why don't you live with him anymore anyway?" Sakura piped up, curious as ever.

Kumiko let out a remorseful sigh and fidgeted slightly with her feet. "He's a pervert, that's why."

Squinting at his new teammate, Naruto wanted to find out exactly _what_ Kakashi had done. If his sensei had done something terrible, and no doubt Sakura would agree, he would pummel the living daylights out of him.

"Well what did he do anyway?" Temari snorted impatiently. She _really_ wanted to get out of here. She wanted to separate her boyfriend from those... those... _people_ as quick as possible. Obviously it would be pretty hard with Kumiko living together with them and everything, but she could try couldn't she?

Sakura raised a delicate eyebrow at the tone the Sand-nin used, but chose to ignore it. "We know he reads those dirty books of his, but he didn't... You know... Come on to you or anything did he?" She asked, mortified at the very thought.

Naruto let out a strangled gasp as the weight of this question hit him. "He didn't!"

"No!" The white-haired girl shouted quickly and blushed furiously. "No! Of course not! I'm only thirteen, what the hell are you thinking!"

'_God, this village breeds the stupidest people, doesn't it...'_ Temari scoffed. She had thought that Sakura was a smart girl, but that she would actually think that her teacher, who was probably in his late twenties, would try and seduce a teenage refugee from a foreign village?

Silvery eyes still wide with shock and slight embarrassment, Kumiko spilled the proverbial beans. "No, he didn't." She affirmed, wanting to leave no doubt whatsoever that Hatake Kakashi would go after very, _very_ young members of the fairer sex. "Well after a few days since I came here, I was taking a shower early in the morning..."

Two gasps and a snort interrupted the girl slightly before she continued.

"...I was showering and he... _accidentally_... stepped into the bathroom and saw me completely... naked..." She admitted in a horrified voice.

The girl knew that Kakashi hadn't meant to walk in on her like that; evidently, the silver-haired Jounin was not used to the sounds of someone in his house early in the morning. And still in a sleepy daze, he had stupidly stumbled into the bathroom where it was coming from...

As fate would have it, Kakashi did indeed not do that on purpose. But he had a hard time explaining that on that particular moment, as Kumiko recalled not without a shudder. She had completely and utterly lost it, and her normal calm reserve had broken down into fits of hysteria, and no doubt the man's eardrums must have been literally ripped apart, with the staggering level of decibels from her raging and furious high-pitched screams.

Following this revelation, Sakura's and Naruto's eyed gained a steely glint. With unspoken words, they promised nothing short than excruciating torture and other horrible punishments that would be exacted on their unfortunate Jounin-sensei...

Temari shook her head in disbelief. _'Absolute, utter morons...'_ She stood up abruptly and without hesitation; no way in hell would she spend any more time with these two girls.

What made her even angrier though, was that Naruto was also showing signs of being as stupid as his teammates. Without any further ado, she grabbed one of his arms and yanked him to his feet, her fingers tightening in a vice-like grip around his arm refusing to let it go.

"We're going." She stated simply and looked sternly at the other girls, as if daring them to protest.

The other two girls got the hint though, be it slightly angrily, but didn't complain as they saw the girl with her four spiky pigtails drag a confused Naruto with her as they remained at the field for some _much_ needed girl talk. Or to talk about ways to get back at Kakashi, they weren't really sure yet.

Halfway across the village, a certain silver-haired Jounin sneezed and got a slight feeling of impending doom which he couldn't quite explain...

* * *

Moments later, the couple stopped in the middle of a deserted narrow street as Naruto tried to pry his right arm free from the forceful grip of his girlfriend.

"What's wrong? Why did we leave?" He asked, rotating and massaging his numb arm, trying to get the blood to flow through it once more.

Temari let her emerald orbs wander around freely, trying desperately to look at anything except in those gorgeous sapphire eyes of his. _'I can't tell him, he'll probably hate me for being so stupidly jealous...'_ She thought mournfully.

Getting slightly worried, Naruto placed his hands on her slim shoulders, squeezing them gently. "Temari-chan, what's wrong, you can tell me."

"N-nothing's wrong, Naruto-kun... It's really nothing..." She told him and let out a sigh, tightening her hands into fists and all the while damning herself for her cowardice.

The blonde boy pursed his lips and retracted his hands using them to finger the head-protector that had been tied around his neck. "Well ok... You don't _have_ to tell me..."

She felt as if a ten-ton sledgehammer had hit her in the stomach, it seemed he'd hate her after all, regardless if she had told him about her childish jealousy...

...Until he ruined the moment completely with an incredibly stupid comment...

"...But I really wanted to see your techniques and everything!" He whined.

"Oh Naruto-kun!" She groaned as she nearly face-faulted. Yes he was a stupid boy, but he was _her_ stupid boy. Temari was relieved and for once happy for his stupidity, it seemed she could get away with her jealousy for a little while longer.

She quickly slipped her arms around his neck and grinned at him as she placed her forehead against his, receiving a broad grin in return as they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. "You're so weird sometimes, you know that right?"

"I try." He chuckled.

"Good." She said simply before she swiftly closed the distance between them and placed her soft lips on his.

"Mmmm." She moaned softly and lifted her left leg as they continued to kiss for a few moments longer, completely forgetting the happenings of the world around them.

They never did notice the girl watching them, her bright blue eyes sparkling much like a cat that had cornered a mouse, preparing to toy with it mercilessly before it gobbled it up.

'_Haha! Looks like I've got the scoop of the century!_' The girl thought gleefully and cackled madly as she disappeared into the shadows, leaving the oblivious young couple to their own devices. _'This is going to be very fun indeed!'_

__

* * *

__

_A/N: Whoah, where the hell did this come from eh? Nearly 8000 words my friends. Don't expect that again in a hurry... Well, who knows, a nearly endless supply of words could again flow in future chapters..._

_Oh by the way, if some of you didn't get that part with the summon thing? Kumiko also has a summon, but I'm not going to tell you what it is yet, teehee. Let's just say it is/was a guardian of the Mikadzuki clan..._

_But I'm really happy the way this chapter turned out, and what makes me even happier is the fact that I hit the 200 review mark and the 50000 (over 55000 to be exact) words mark with this chapter! WHOOHOO!_

_A million thanks to my beta "**refused**" and "**Princess-Tsunade**", I owe you guys a lot for the things you've done for me._

_Now I don't know if any of you have read it yet, but "**Princess-Diana's**" sister also published a Naruto fanfic on , I urge you to check it out, it's good for a HUGE barrel of laughs._

_Her nickname is: **CurlyRedToothpaste** and the title of her story is: Return Of The Porcupine Egg_

_Find it and read it and please leave a review for her, it's really funny. :)_

_Moving on... To celebrate the new marks I've hit. You guys can vote for some stuff here. (no not between the options, if enough people want it, I'd even attempt to put all of it in) I'll put it on top of what I am already going to write but would have left out anyway._

_So, a Sakura/Lee scene again where Lee gathers his courage to ask her out? Another Shikamaru/Ino scene? And for this you do need to choose only one; a scene involving another character entirely, someone else from the rookie nine (Kiba, Shino, etc.), Tsunade or Jiraiya. (I hope that made sense...)_

_Oh well this is what you can expect in the next chapter: Gaara ponders on the meaning of friendship, training at last for Naruto with his new technique aided by his sensei and Kumiko. And Tsunade wants to see the Sand siblings and Team Seven? Could there be a mission at last?_

_I hope everyone who reads my fic will leave a vote!_

_Just a note on the next update, it probably won't be affected by it, but it may be possible. My birthday is the 27th of august and I'll be turning twenty... God that's so old isn't it? Anyway, maybe I'll have a big party for hitting the big two-oh and I'll be drunk stupid for the rest of the weekend. :P_

_Oh well, now that that's settled, on to the review response!_

_**refused:** Yeah yeah, but don't you DARE put in colours, you know I'm colourblind... I couldn't release the previous chapter that night because the document manager was under construction._

_**Princess-Tsunade:** Well if you've slept in the same room as your brother for the majority of your life, you do develop ways to wake up one another, hehehe. Yep sorry, but the spatula will have to make a cameo every now and again. I hope you enjoyed the Kankuro bit, I put it there especially for you, you know. Thanks for the review, princess! :D And I'm not a chibi!!! (refused is... :P)_

_**Max Knight:** Thanks, I'm glad you liked so many lines :P_

_**Inferno-Dragonz:** Hmm if I missed it I apologize profusely, but I don't think I've seen a review from you for the previous chapter. Anyway, I hope your Temari/Naruto craving has been sated._

_**One Azn Dragon:** Don't worry about Hinata, she'll take it all in stride and be stronger than ever! Well, I hope for her sake anyway, who knows what will happen... And look for Gaara's thoughts on the whole matter in the next chapter._

_**Black Fyre Dragun:** Hmmm... (hands dragun some more tissues) Don't bleed to death now, I want more reviews from you in the future. ;) I left out the conversation between Kumiko and Temari for a reason, sorry, but it was redundant, the effect of Temari talking to her menacingly was what I was looking for. I'm sorry if I disappointed you!_

_**Peradis:** Thanks! This chapter is even longer, I really hope you enjoyed it. You should update again soon as well!_

_**Raidin:** Ah don't worry, Shikamaru and Ino will meet up with the rest again soon. Thanks for the review! And hey, are you ever going to update your fanfics as well? I hope you will!_

_**Licht Sieger:** Well if you want to see Gaara's face like that, you should check the manga. It appears several times in the fight between him and Lee in the prelims._

_**Omnis Morganis:** Hahaha, thanks for the review. And hey, update your fic as well eh? I've enjoyed it a lot so far._

_**Crutches:** Like I've said before several times, Hinata will definitely not be paired with Kiba, don't worry. Maybe I should include it in the A/N next time huh? :P_

_**Per:** Thank you for your kind words, I'm glad you like my story. :)_

_**Kuwabaras pupil and Ipeefreely:** You loved it but not exactly? A little confusing, but I can understand I guess, I wasn't really happy with it too. But oh well, I think I made up for it with this one. The question to how old Kumiko is has been answered in this chapter. And Temari is definitely a possessive type of person as you could see in this chapter. :P_

_**weirddramagirl:** Yeah, the Sakura/Lee seen was for you, I hope you enjoyed it! :)_

_**Lucas:** Eh don't worry about it mate, I hope you'll enjoy my fic regardless of anything else._

_**Skuld's Sentaro:** Well here you are, thank you very much for your review! :)_

_**clicke:** Uhm, I don't know how many chapter there'll be to be honest. My first plan was to have a time-jump but I've scratched that idea, at least for now. And I update every two weeks (knocks on wood) at least I hope I can maintain at least that. Of course I'll try and update sooner but..._

_**The Red One:** Yeah yeah, just bring it on ya crazy Canadian. :P_

_**kashisenshey, Gopu, Sirus183, InuSaiyan, The Fenris Wolf, Yondaime-samaKazaraYume, Anime-Lance, SxStrngSamurai13:** Thank you for your reviews; I appreciate every single one of them very much!_

_To all those who have reviewed; Thank you all, I love every one of ya! And to those who haven't yet? Well what are you waiting for! Leave me a review so I know what you all think eh? :P_

_Seriously, reviews motivate me a lot..._


	13. Laying the Foundation Part I

**Do You Hate Me?**

Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.__  
  
__Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's._

**Chapter 13 – Laying the Foundation – Part I:**

Friendship...

What was it really?

This was the question that plagued the back of Gaara's of mind as he sat on his plain futon in his cold and bare room, looking out of the only window at the grey and dreary autumn sky, while his sister had gone with Naruto and Kumiko's team somewhere in an attempt to get to know one another better.

The answer to what friendship was might have been easy for some, but not Gaara. Never in his entire life had anyone willingly wanted to become his friend. That didn't mean he had not tried, no, he had. But always he had been rebuffed; always they ran away from him in fear...

Yet someone had not...

Faced with the prospect of losing someone precious to him, a child that everyone underestimated had stood up to Gaara of the Desert. Naruto was his name and he had fought Gaara with everything he had and more, he had pushed himself past his limits, all that to protect someone. It had shocked the redhead when he realized he was losing, even after putting himself under a fake sleep Jutsu that temporarily let the demon that resided within him to take over.

The boy's memories swirled in a haze as he recalled that day... Recalled the long and arduous battle that had followed... Recalled the pain and exhaustion, the fatigue that had overcome him, and no doubt also overcome his opponent...

The faintest flash of emotion flickered across the pale blue-green eyes as they watched the uncertain autumn sky outside.

Those eyes... Those innocent blue eyes had looked at him, fixed intently into his... The boy's entire body was bruised, injured, wearied. And yet, those eyes had remained bright, clear... And with the intensity of that blue gaze, the boy had dragged himself closer, too pained, too injured to move his body...

But his heart hadn't given up... Within those blue eyes there had been the spark of a rare unquenchable fire, a flame that had never once wavered, never flickered in uncertainty... His chin scraping against the unyielding ground, dragging his battered body closer and closer...

He had understood...

'_Being alone... Being incomplete... What you must feel... What your pain must be, I understand that...'_

The energy may have gone out of his body, his arms... but those eyes...

Something else... _somebody_ else had awakened within those eyes...

And for the first time in a long, long time, Gaara had been afraid...

Even when they were in no shape to fight any longer, Naruto still stubbornly clung on to consciousness, refusing to give up...

The stirring of the being within him, the raging fury in those eyes, his whisper filled with determination, strength, will...

'_But... For the people that are precious to me, to be able to..._

_The people that are precious to me... If you are hurting them... And if you are trying to kill them..._

_I will stop you...'_

'_What? Until now, for the sake of other people, you've...'_

'_Because they rescued me from the hell of being alone... They acknowledged my existence. That's why they are all the most important...'_

'_Love...'_

Those words had changed his life... It had changed everything...

Something had stirred within him... Had glowed...

He'd felt something within him that was alien, so strange...

...Warmth...

A shifting of something that had slept for so long, and now had been awakened... The spreading of wings, the feeling of sudden lightness...

It was hope, it was... understanding... and these rays were piercing through the murky blackness, the confusion of his heart and his soul... They were breaking through like the rays of the sun...

When his sister and brother had intervened and carried him as they fled the Fire Country, Gaara had all the time in the world to think about his current situation. He realized that he didn't want this at all; he didn't want to be a ruthless murderer that would kill people just for the fun of it and in the most gruesome way possible. He didn't want to spill their blood senselessly in a macabre offering to his 'mother', which he by then realized was the demon that had possessed him at birth in the first place.

He found himself starting to resist the demon called Shukaku, with its false promises and seductive lies, and with its thunderous roars of outrage when he had dared displease him. Nothing stood between him and gory bloodbaths but his _iron_ will.

Shukaku of course, had not been pleased, not at all. With every passing day he had sent wave after wave of mental attacks at the red-haired boy, hoping that his resolve would crumble. And even though Gaara was determined to remain strong, he felt his control slipping away, like grains of sand being swept away from a large dune, never to be seen again.

Gaara was no fool, even though he was struggling to hold the demon in check and was trying hard to change himself for the better, he knew that he still inspired fear inside his siblings' hearts. Nearly a decade of spending time with a person that killed without the slightest bit of hesitation had that effect on people.

With an unfamiliar smile tugging at his lips, he came to the conclusion that it didn't really matter, what was most important was that they _tried_. They really tried to get along with him and wanted him to feel comfortable. After years of painful solitude, that had to be the greatest gift anyone could ever give him, after those long, long years his brother and sister still cared.

But something had happened only a day before, and that was really the reason why he was up in his room in the first place. As if it wasn't enough, Naruto had come up to him and asked politely if he could talk to him. Obliging, he led them towards the living-room where they had, what could have been, the oddest conversation two people could share between them.

Naruto had confessed to Gaara, that he also had a demon living inside of him. It was the dreaded Kyuubi, the fox-demon that inspired terror into the people of old. It was almost laughable that it had been sealed inside a boy that truly was its opposite. Naruto never really wanted to hurt anyone, he never wanted to be a tool that killed people meaninglessly. He only wanted to protect the people he cared about, and even though Gaara didn't know much about nobility, that had to be the most noblest cause he had ever heard.

Gaara wasn't alone anymore; the ray of hope and warmth that previously filtered in through a crack of his cold heart suddenly found itself streaming in through a wide chasm like a newborn star. What was more, Naruto sincerely wanted to become his friend. Hopefully with his help, maybe Gaara would really find the answer to what that really was.

Gaara stood up and blinked his azure eyes slowly. _'I'm not your slave anymore, demon.'_ He thought to point out his defiance to Shukaku. All he received in reply was a faint chuckle that disturbed him more than any obvious and painful attack ever would.

As he walked to the door of his room to go downstairs, he suddenly heard someone speak from behind it, it seemed he had been too busy pondering about what had happened to him and never noticed anyone return from their trip.

"Thank you for doing this, Naruto-kun." A female voice said, followed quickly by what surely sounded like a passionate kiss.

A short time went by until the other person evidently broke himself free. "Don't worry about it, Temari-chan. I really want to become his friend. He..." Naruto's voice trailed off. "He deserves it, I think."

Another kiss resounded vaguely from behind the door. "Yes he does, and so do you." Temari said and evidently walked away, as her footsteps echoed softly through the long hallway of the first floor.

A long silence followed her departure and Gaara was beginning to wonder whether Naruto had also left until a sharp knock on his door startled him slightly.

Stepping back and turning his back towards the entrance to his room, he spoke up softly. "Come in."

With a creak, his door was opened and revealed a slightly flushed Naruto. "Hey Gaara." He said in a fake cheerful tone, obviously nervous for some reason.

"Hello." Was the short response as he motioned for Naruto to sit down somewhere without looking at him directly.

Naruto looked around and spotted a simple unpainted wooden chair, and after taking a few steps towards it he sat down and immediately stared down at his heavy brown boots, unwilling to look Gaara in the eye.

Without making a comment about the blonde boy's behaviour, Gaara also sat back down on his futon, caressing the tangible reminder of his _unique_ situation, the heavy gourd filled with sand that was placed right next to him.

An uncomfortable silence settled down on the two of them, but obviously Gaara coped with it better as Naruto finally spoke up. "You know..." He started, trying futilely to start a conversation. "About yesterday..." He tried again, breathing in deeply and fingering the small necklace that hung around his neck.

Gaara waited patiently, in the way apparently only he could do, for Naruto to continue and settled his unwavering gaze on the blonde boy.

Although the redhead probably knew why he was here, Naruto really wanted to talk about what they had talked about yesterday. About the fact that both of them had a ferocious demon living inside of him and about the fact that he had offered a hand of friendship. But where to start?

Instead, Naruto looked around, taking in his surroundings. He raised an eyebrow slightly as he saw that Gaara really went for functionality instead of warmth as far as his furniture went. Heck, he didn't even have anything decorating his white walls either.

Letting out a deep sigh, Naruto turned to Gaara and flashed him a genuine warm smile. "Hey Gaara, how about we decorate your room a bit?"

Slightly startled, Gaara didn't really know how to respond until he felt that unfamiliar smile creep up on him. "I would..." He hesitated for a moment, trying to get a word that he had not used many times in his life past his lips. "Like that..."

The blonde boy chuckled and clapped his hands together. "Okay." He started, unknowingly already starting to lay the foundations of a strong friendship with the redhead. "You know, your room could really use a splash of orange..."

* * *

Sometimes Shikamaru really wished he hadn't been promoted to Chuunin, and this day was no exception. Today, like seemingly every day since he had been promoted, he was dragged out of his bed against his own will by his own mother and was forced to do, what were in his eyes, menial tasks. Well the Hokage called them _missions,_ but the black-haired boy wasn't really too sure.

And after he was finally released from his 'slave-labour' he was allowed to drag himself back to his home. He got paid for the job of course, but since he still lived at home, his mother had _insisted_ that he hand over the majority of his pay over to her so she could put it away for later and give it to him when he was older. This injustice, as he put it, left him with hardly any money at all! He felt this was particularly horrible since he had been eyeing this beautiful onyx and marble chess set for months. But he had blown nearly all of his precious saved up money on that Go set for Naruto's birthday instead. This left him with nothing to do other than placing his hands on the window of the shop where the chess set was displayed and bang his forehead against it with a sad expression on his face until the shop-owner would yell at him to go away after a few minutes had passed. Even if he did tell him it was troublesome to do that almost every day, he seemed to be unable to stop himself from continuing.

He let out a remorseful sigh, yes, he definitely hated the life he was leading now. Already he was forming plans in the back of his super-genius mind of two-hundred plus IQ to somehow retire at a very young age. That way he would be able to lead a peaceful and relaxed life that involved nothing than watching clouds and play games all day as he was given some lemonade by a, for some odd reason, familiar blonde girl.

Taking some more time to mull these things over as he sauntered towards his home, he received a shock of a lifetime when a blonde and blue blur jumped on his back without warning and screeched something painfully in his left ear.

"SHIKA-KUN!!!"

"AAARGH!!!" Shikamaru screamed in return as he dropped face first on the dirt, clutching his left ear with both of his hands. Lifting himself up on his knees, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "What the hell did you that for you... YOU WOMAN?!" He yelled angrily due to lack of a proper curse word.

Even though a lot of people seemed to think he was a chauvinist, sexist and all-round women hater, he prided himself on his proper upbringing thank you very much. Well, it was also the fact that he was afraid that his mother would suddenly appear behind him and beat him to a bloody pulp if he ever dared insult a member of the opposite sex.

Seeing Shikamaru in such distress, Ino could only giggle as she put her hands in front of her mouth in a vain effort to hide it from him.

Recovering slightly, Shikamaru sighed. It was bad enough that she had been hounding him after they had visited Chouji in the hospital, but after making him eat that horrible tasting bento she had made for him she seemed to have redoubled her efforts. Sure things were a bit different now, he had to admit that, but she could still get pretty annoying at times. He was sure he was going to show symptoms of cloud-watching deprivation if this kept going on.

"What is it, Ino?" He finally let out in another long sigh.

The blonde girl fumed slightly and gritted her teeth. _'Can't he be a bit more energetic?'_ She thought until she fluttered her eyelashes at him seductively and pouted in what she hoped was a cute way. All of this was clearly lost on Shikamaru though. "Why won't you call me Ino-chan?" She whined, stressing the word chan for a few moments.

Raising an eyebrow questioningly, the dark-haired Chuunin didn't know why he didn't. Of course, he already had an answer ready, the answer to most of his problems in his life. "It's too troublesome." He explained in a lazy drawl and stuck his hands in the pockets of his dark-coloured pants.

"Awww, Shika-kun. Come on, do it for me. Please?" She asked him with round pleading eyes as she rocked on the balls of her feet and clasped her petite hands in front of her chest as if in prayer. "Pretty please?"

Shikamaru scowled. "Alright already. What so you want from me, Ino... chan?" He asked reluctantly, tasting the words carefully as the rolled off his tongue. He had to admit though, it was a rather nice thing to say for some reason, but he shrugged it off as he repeated his own personal motto to himself once more.

"Oh yeah!" She began excitedly, remembering what she wanted to tell her former teammate in the first place, and clutched his right arm tightly with her perfectly manicured hands.

"Ouch!" Shikamaru complained. "Loosen the grip already, woman!" He demanded, dreading that the blonde girl was going to rip off his limb entirely.

Ino ignored him completely and looked around quickly, darting her head side to side as she tried to find out whether anyone was listening in on them. "Listen, I need to talk to you, I found out something very important!"

"Eh?" Shikamaru inquired languidly and quirked one of his eyebrows slightly. Whatever Ino had to tell him, it probably couldn't be anything good and he definitely didn't want to get involved if that was indeed the case.

"You heard me!" Ino snapped loudly, causing some of the passersby to snap their heads towards them. "You heard me!" She repeated in a harsh whisper. "We can't talk here, I don't want anyone else to know... yet." She said finally as a broad grin appeared on her face and her blue eyes began to sparkle. "So, are you free at the moment?"

"Yeah I guess so, but... whoa, whoah!" The Chuunin managed to utter before Ino tugged on his arm painfully and dragged him forcefully down the street where he had been 'ambushed' by the excited blonde. Shikamaru quickly found out where they were heading though, and started get a slight feeling of dread. Whenever they went to the place where he thought they were going, something strange and unexpected happened. But any and all complaints from him fell on deaf ears as Ino dragged him by his arm much like a mother would do to a small child.

* * *

The next morning, Inuzuka Kiba was a terribly unhappy man. Well, he wasn't exactly a man yet since he was only twelve years old, but he liked to think he was at any rate.

The reason for his unhappiness was that, for the second time since the legendary sennin Tsunade had taken up the office of Hokage, she had apparently picked him to be her very own personal messenger-boy. He didn't know why she had to pick him, he just happened to stroll by the office as he and Akamaru were out for a walk. This was why, in the morning while he could have been home training, he was now making his way through the bustling market streets of Konoha with his faithful canine companion.

As they the two of them dodged a particular 'wide' woman as she hollered at other people to buy her goods, waving her particularly foul smelling fish in a desperate attempt to lure them. Judging by the way people held their noses as they passed by though, it seemed she was having very little success indeed. And for Kiba and Akamaru, their very sensitive noses weren't exactly helping them much either.

"Yeah I know, Akamaru." Kiba gasped as he quickly tried to get away from the god-awful smell in response to the whimpering whine his dog let out. "It smells horrible."

The furry creature let out a bark in acknowledgement and wagged its tail as it ran around Kiba's feet in circles.

"Why are you so happy?" The young Genin inquired with a raised eyebrow. "This is the second time we have to go after Naruto just because Hokage-sama wants to see him, you know."

Akamaru let out a series of loud barks in reply.

"You've got to be kidding me. He's an idiot, that's what he is." Kiba huffed and gnashed his teeth as if to accentuate his point.

Again his faithful companion barked something which only his master could comprehend.

"Hey!" Kiba yelled. "You don't have to rub it in! In case you've forgotten, he beat the both of us, remember?!"

Akamaru barked once, cocked his head sideways slightly and almost seemed to grin.

After kicking a small stone that lay in front of him on the street with his foot, causing it to skip across the pavement several times, Kiba turned to his pet. "Yeah whatever, lets just get this over with alright?"

After a few more minutes, the Genin and his companion arrived at the mansion where Naruto lived with his new teammate and the feared Sand-nin siblings, the mere thought of Gaara still made Kiba's skin crawl and Akamaru whimper.

Taking in a deep breath, Kiba walked up to the massive front door resolutely and knocked on it three times in rapid succession while his dog sat on his backside between Kiba's feet, beginning to lick himself clean furiously. This action received a raised eyebrow from the dark-eyed boy. "Who are you trying to impress?"

Akamaru's response was merely a sneeze as his fur tickled his nose and continued to clean himself until the door swung open, revealing a grinning boy with spiky blonde hair.

"Hey Kiba!" He said jovially. "What's up?"

"Pfff. Hell if I know." Kiba scoffed as he placed his hands on the back of his head that was covered by the hood of his standard dark-grey fur-lined jacket. "But I've been sent to tell you that you've got to go see the Hokage in her office."

"Obaa-chan?" Naruto said, narrowing his eyes in clear suspicion. "What does she want from me?"

'_Obaa-chan, eh?'_ The beast-technique using youth wondered but shrugged it off, there were other places where he'd rather be, and after this he also had to pay a visit to the Haruno house to tell Sakura that she had also been summoned. "Didn't I say I don't know? But you're apparently supposed to bring your new teammate too, along with those Sand-nins."

The grin returned to the blonde boy's face as he looked at Kiba's scowl. "Ok then, I'll go and get them. Bye!" He said quickly and slammed the door in Kiba's face.

Raising an index finger in the air and opening his mouth to protest, Kiba stopped himself as he realized that it just wasn't worth the energy. He just wanted to train, was that so bad? So, he contented himself with a drawn out sigh, while Akamaru let out a single loud bark.

"Shut up, Akamaru."

* * *

"Hurry up already would you?!" Temari yelled loudly into the house where she, her brothers and now two thirds out of Team Seven lived together.

"Yeah, alright, I'm coming already!" Her brother, Kankuro grumbled as he tugged on the black cap that covered his hair and stepped out of the heavy front-door and closed it behind him with a loud resounding thud.

Naruto, who had been standing with Kumiko and Gaara outside with Temari as she tapped her left foot impatiently, scowled. "Man, I thought only girls could be so slow." He said tactlessly which earned him a whack on the head from his girlfriend while his teammate merely rolled her eyes as she tried to suppress a snort.

Gaara showed the hint of a smile, even though he didn't realize it completely yet, his subconscious found it very amusing whenever he saw his sister getting into an odd situation with his newfound friend. "Let's go." He said simply and turned on his heel, arms folded in front of his chest.

The other four looked at each other for a moment, but quickly followed the redhead as he made his way to the Hokage's office.

For the most part, the trip was calm, but occasionally they came across a villager that ran away screaming at the sight of Gaara, which caused a few raised eyebrows to appear on Naruto's and Kumiko's faces.

After a few minutes and apparently having left those hysteric villagers behind, they came across the place where Naruto had met the Sand-nin siblings several months ago and he couldn't help but snicker.

"What is it, Naruto-san?" Kumiko asked, curious why Naruto would find anything about this place so funny.

The blonde boy grinned at her and then shifted his gaze to Temari. "This is where I met those three for the first time!"

Temari smiled while Gaara had just turned his face and stared at him stonily, Kankuro however, let out a snort.

"Yeah, we met that incompetent brat here. Little did I know that that would be the start of the worst period in my life. Stupid little brats and their... Oof!" The puppet-user managed to say sneeringly before a little _something_ that had a very long scarf trailing behind it, slammed into him. "What the!" He yelled angrily and then pointed at it. "YOU!"

"Ow..." The thing said as it grabbed its long navy blue scarf and wrapped it around its neck while rubbing its nose vigorously.

Naruto laughed. "Hey, Konohamaru! What are you doing here? And where are Udon and Moegi?"

For what seemed the millionth time since she had come to the Hidden Leaf village, Kumiko felt her eyebrow raise high into air in confusion. _'Why is that kid wearing such a long scarf, and... what's with that weird hat...?'_ She thought as she inspected the peculiar headwear currently seated on top of Konohamaru's head.

The small boy jumped up and dusted himself off, quickly moving away from the quaking Kankuro as he tried to keep his anger in check. "Hey bro!" He said cheerfully before looking around and taking in the other people that were standing near him. Konohamaru hobbled quickly towards Naruto and motioned for him to bend slightly so he could whisper something in his ear. "Udon and Moegi are still in the classroom with Iruka-sensei, I slipped out." He grinned and squinted his eyes mischievously. "Hey, those two girls are really pretty, prettier than that wide fore-headed girl you were with."

Naruto narrowed his eyes happily and tried to hide his wide grin, failing miserably, and put one hand to the side of his mouth. "Yeah that white-haired girl is Kumiko-san, she's my new teammate. And Temari-chan, the other girl, she's my girlfriend, hehehe." He whispered conspiratorially.

"No way bro!" Konohamaru exclaimed, wide-eyed, then pointed at Temari disbelievingly. "That's your girlfriend?!"

If it was even possible, Naruto's grin grew even wider "Yep, hehehehe." He affirmed and beamed proudly at Temari, who blushed slightly in response. "She's great isn't she?"

"Ah man, I'm so jealous." Konohamaru said dejectedly. "She's really scary but she's really pretty too!"

"H-hey!" Temari protested, but didn't know whether she had to feel insulted or complimented but instead decided on glaring at Kumiko as the girl stifled a giggle.

Smoke threatened to come out of Kankuro's ears as he watched and heard the academy student rant on and on about his sister. _'Why you little... Just wait until I get you...'_ He thought menacingly until a particular comment set him off entirely.

"...That's it!" Konohamaru yelled with his fists raised in determination as he stared intently at the Sand Kunoichi. "I'll capture your heart and steal you away from Naruto-nii-san!"

"Say what?!" Naruto shouted as he nearly face vaulted along with Temari.

"Temari-chan will be mine!" The boy with his oversized scarf vowed.

Kankuro however, had other things in mind. "Come here you little brat!" He roared and ran after Konohamaru with his arms stretched out in front of him to capture said brat.

With a loud squeak, Konohamaru saw Kankuro charge towards him in a blind rage, then dropped to his knees and crawled through the gap between Kankuro's legs to avoid capture and possible disembowelment as the puppet-user made a swipe in the air where Konohamaru's head was just a second ago.

"Hah! You can't catch me, fatass!" The boy grinned triumphantly but quickly ran away as Kankuro came charging after him once more.

When the dust cloud that was caused by Kankuro's furious stampede settled, a quartet of silent Genins were left behind. Three of whom were just struck speechless and one who was always very silent anyway.

"That was..." Kumiko started, but was lost for words as her silvery eyes stared at the direction where Kankuro and Konohamaru had gone.

"Yeah..." Naruto affirmed the unspoken comment as he turned to Temari, hands hanging limply by his sides.

"He'll be back" Gaara stated suddenly, startling the other three slightly. "We're going." He ordered, clearly not allowing anyone to contradict him as he resumed walking towards the Hokage office.

A few minutes later, the group was rejoined by a panting and sweaty Kankuro. "Couldn't... catch... brat... kill him... later..." He gasped

"You couldn't catch a small kid like that?" Kumiko said snidely, not giving up the opportunity to insult him. She would never forgive him for calling her a useless brat.

Kankuro growled but it quickly turned into a hacking cough. "Bite me."

"Shut up, the both of you!" Temari demanded imperiously, receiving two disbelieving stares in return.

Naruto snickered and looked around. The group had already reached Konoha's busiest market, which lay directly in their path to the Hokage's office. Even though it was still small compared to the ones that were in the bigger cities of Konoha, one of which he had visited with Jiraiya, Naruto still marveled at the sheer quantity of goods being sold here.

Rows and rows of stands with many different kinds of foods and spices lined the streets, their owners shouting loudly to catch the attention of any potential customers lest their competitors steal them away. But this didn't interest Naruto; the only food stand he was interested in was the Ichiraku ramen bar.

What really caught his eye was the large number of stands displaying various kinds of weaponry, clothing and... _'Whoah...'_

Ignoring the rest of the group, Naruto ran towards a particular item that seemed to call out to him. He couldn't quite explain it, even with the sun's rays not penetrating the grey thick clouds, it still seemed to reflect some kind of light. It almost seemed to glow...

"Hey, where's Naruto-kun?" Temari asked as she noticed her boyfriend's absence.

Kumiko looked around quickly and shrugged. "I don't know."

"There." Gaara said, his azure eyes focused on a single point in the middle of the shopping crowd and pointed a finger towards the spot.

As they walked towards the stand where Naruto was, they heard him having a heated discussion with the owner of a stand which was covered in a large amount of metal trinkets.

"...What do you mean you won't sell it to me?! I even offered you more money for it than the price-tag says!" He questioned hotly.

"I don't sell to your... kind!" The owner yelled back.

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed. "Just sell it to me you stupid bastard, I'll give you twice the amount of money!"

Never one to usually spend his money on frivolous things, and instead saving it for when he needed it later, Naruto was intent on buying this particular item. No way in hell was he going to swallow the treatment he knew he was going to receive from the stand's owner.

"I said no! Now go away you monster!"

"Excuse me..." Kumiko asked calmly, stepping from behind Naruto. "Is there a problem here?"

The owner, a rather scrawny looking man with a very pointed chin grinned, revealing a set of severely yellow teeth. "I'm just explaining to this... _boy_... That I do not appreciate his patronage and I do not want to sell him the particular item he wants." He explained in a falsely cheery voice while sending a hateful glare towards a scowling Naruto every few seconds. "But you my dear..." The owner continued, not noticing a fuming Temari striding towards him resolutely. "What can I do for you?"

Kumiko smiled sweetly and pointed to someone behind him, tucking her sleek white hair behind her ears with the other hand. "Nothing for me, thank you sir, but I think the girl behind you would like you to help her."

"Huh?" The owner inquired before turning around and suddenly finding himself standing face to face with a seething Temari. "Can I help... Aaah!"

"Yes you can help me!" The Sand-nin growled ominously and grabbed the stand's owner by his expensive looking black vest. "You are going to sell to Naruto-kun whatever the hell he wants!" Temari said, shaking the owner harshly once after every word. "If you don't, I'm going to shove your merchandise so far up your ass; you'll be spitting metal for the rest of your miserable little life! Got it?!"

The owner blanched and gulped audibly. "Y-yes, of c-course!" He stammered weakly, having no doubt that the Kunoichi would make good on her threat. "H-he can h-have it, f-free of charge!"

Both their heads swiveled to Naruto when he spoke up angrily. "I don't want it for free damnit, I said I'd pay double for it, so I will." He then pulled out his bulging froggy wallet; Gama-chan, and took out a wad of bills, slamming them on the wooden table of the stand. With a final glare, he returned the wallet to one of his pockets, grabbed the item he wanted to buy in the first place quickly and pocketed it before either of the two girls could find out what it was.

"Well then!" Temari stated cheerily and released the owner's vest, patting it down slightly to remove any wrinkles. "See, if you had just sold it to Naruto-kun in the first place, we wouldn't have to cause this scene, now would we?"

"N-no, I mean yes!" The owner squeaked feebly, feeling that his knees seemed to have turned to jelly.

"Good, remember it next time." Temari grinned, which was mirrored by Kumiko as they moved away from the stand, Naruto walking in between them.

"Y-you guys shouldn't have. I mean I..." He started but was cut off when Temari placed a quick kiss on his lips and hooked her arm with one of his.

"Don't worry about it, Naruto-kun." She said. "He deserved it."

"Yeah." Kumiko agreed with a nod.

"Thank you, Temari-chan, Kumiko-san..." Naruto mumbled and lowered his eyes, not wanting them to see the grateful tears forming that threatened to spill from the corner of his sapphire eyes.

"Well let's hurry to the Hokage, okay?" Kumiko said quickly, sensing the blonde boy's discomfort. "Gaara-san and Kankuro are waiting for us."

"Okay." Naruto nodded and swiped his sleeve across his eyes swiftly. He had made a promise to himself about not crying anymore in front of others, but for the time being, that seemed to be a promise he would be unable to keep. Maybe that was one of the conditions after finding people that you cared about... and that cared about you in return...

* * *

_A/N: Sorry people, but I've decided to chop the chapter into two bits, otherwise it'd be nearly 30 pages. I haven't completely finished the second part yet, but I've got a huge chunk of it done already, so you guys probably won't have to wait two weeks for that._

_Now I say you **probably** won't have to wait two weeks. I really don't know what's going to happen next week, I've got my birthday on Friday and I'll probably have to get ready to go to my new school. Anyway, nothing much to say aside from that so I'll just thank "refused" and "Princess-Tsunade" for their awesome help and get the review response underway._

**_Uhm, one more thing though. If there is anyone out there reading my fanfic, I would love to receive a bit of fanart. It can be about any character or technique or scene you want. (My favorite would definitely be an interaction between Naruto and Temari, but anything else is also good) If you send it to me via email which you can look up via my profile, I'll make sure it gets published and you'll have my eternal gratitude! And if you are wondering why I just don't draw anything? Well because the best I can do are some stick puppets, and that wouldn't be to impressive now would it? :P_**

_**refused:** Yeah, yeah, less talk, more writing. I want to see your next chapter and I want to see it now! :P_

_**Princess-Tsunade:** Seductive purr indeed, you may have a bad influence on me little lady. :P Sakura and Kumiko will definitely get back at Kakashi, but I won't tell when yet though. Thanks for everything you put in your review, it was very kind as usual :)_

_**clicke:** Yeah Temari is 2 years older, but that's not so uncommon. Thanks for the review!_

_**One Azn Dragon:** No fight between Sakura and Temari... Maybe in the future... :}_

_**Shippou-Chan:** You'll just have to wait, and who said anything about summoning Kyuubi? :P_

_**Raidin:** Well I hope you'll resume writing, maybe you can rewrite some of the chapters you've already written and start from there? Anyway, thank you for your kind words, I hope you enjoyed Part I._

_**Yondaime-samaKazaraYume:** Thanks for the review, but I'm sorry, I don't have any clue for what to send you about that contest thing of yours I'm afraid._

_**Max Knight:** Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it. And uhm, there's not going to be a Hinata/Kiba pairing, sorry._

_**Kuwabaras pupil and Ipeefreely:** There is going to be a pairing for Kumiko, that is all I'm going to say, I don't want to spoil it too soon. :)_

_**cazertanu:** Oh don't worry, I will never write Yaoi. :P_

_**figurechan:** I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you wanted to tell me. All I got were a bunch of weird a's and so on..._

_**Black Fyre Dragun:** Hmmm, well I can't really draw well so I don't think I will draw the techniques, sorry. But it did give me an idea though... Well you've already read it above I'm sure._

**_Crutches, _**_**Kirin Kage the Shadow Girl, Inferno-Dragonz, blazer6, DaveBoo1378, kashisenshey, Gopu, trickmaster, Kyubi-Naruto, Skuld's Sentaro, Fifou, AkiaBinZaid, Lek Nufrac, malkavsdevoted:** I thank you all for your reviews, they mean a great deal to me. Also a lot of you asked questions about a particular kind of pairing or what not, let's just say I can't answer any of that or it would spoil things, and that wouldn't be much fun now would it?_

_Ok now that that is done, please leave a review! Like my dear friend "refused" said; they are my drug. :)_


	14. Laying the Foundation Part II

**Do You Hate Me?**

Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.  
  
_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add.__  
  
__Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's._

**Chapter 14 – Laying the Foundation - Part II**

"What took you guys so long?!" Was the loud berating greeting the five Genins received as they finally stepped in the office where the Fifth Hokage resided, after going past several guards who didn't seem too pleased to see them all there.

"Hey Obaa-chan!" Naruto grinned and waved his hand cheerily at Tsunade.

The three Sand siblings and Kumiko however, had more respect for the woman and bowed politely.

Tsunade's narrowed her eyes dangerously, trying to ignore the vein that had started to throb on her forehead. "Don't 'hey obaa-chan' me kiddo! Your other teammate has been waiting with me for over half an hour now!" She said angrily and pointed at Sakura who stood slack-jawed and ogling at the disrespect Naruto had shown.

"Go easy on them, Tsunade-hime." A deep baritone voice suddenly rumbled from behind Naruto. "I'm sure they have a valid excuse."

"Ero-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed as he spun around to see who had spoken. His eyes alighted on a tall figure leaning comfortably against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. "What are _you_ doing here?!"

The figure scowled immediately. "My name is _Jiraiya_ you brat!" He said and glared at the blonde boy before his expression softened. "I'm glad to see you too, Naruto"

"Heh." Naruto grinned and placed his hands behind his head and relaxed in a casual stance. "But what are you doing here, pervy-sennin?" He asked again suspiciously as he stared at Jiraiya with only one half-opened eye.

_'Hmm, straight to business, eh, Naruto?'_ The white-haired man thought, a small smile curving the corner of his lips as he scrutinized the blonde Genin. _'He sure has changed, I at least expected a bit of bragging…' _

"Well?" Naruto inquired impatiently, ignoring the various stares he received from everyone else in the room.

"That…" He started, and smiled broadly. "…is no business of yours."

Everyone who was listening with rapt attention, very nearly face-faulted at these words before they heard Naruto snort.

"Yeah fine, whatever." Naruto said, too used to the fact that Jiraiya never shared a lot with him when it came to the things he did in his own time and shifted closer to Temari, who was watching all this with a bemused expression.

"Oho! Who are you!" Jiraiya suddenly yelled as he took notice of Temari and Kumiko with rather lecherous eyes and rubbed his hands together excitedly. "My, aren't you a couple of pretty girls!"

_'What am I? Chopped liver?!'_ Inner-Sakura screeched inside Sakura's head, drowning out any and all disgust at the words that the pink-haired girl was feeling at the chauvinistic comment.

It seemed the tall white-haired man was the only one who didn't feel the deadly vibrations emanating from the trembling females in the room, as he still stared at Temari and Kumiko in a rather perverse fashion…

Kankuro didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he liked seeing Kumiko getting all riled up like this, but on the other, he _really_ didn't like this old geezer hitting so obviously on his sister. It seemed that Naruto didn't either, if the teeth-gnashing and rapid clenching and unclenching of his fists were any indication. ****

Already forming plans on how to deal with the current situation, he jumped when a calm, deep voice broke evenly through the tense and crackling atmosphere.

"What do you want from us?" Gaara asked, forestalling the horrible beating the large sennin was undoubtedly going to receive from all the females in the room.

Lowering herself back in her chair after standing up moments ago with the intention of beating the stuffing out of her old teammate, Tsunade spoke up in forced calm after a small cough.

"Oh. Right. Well I called the six of you here, because I have some news for you..." And paused for a moment, fidgeting with the papers on her desk, trying to find the proper words for what she was going to say next.

"What news, Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked politely.

Jiraiya turned slightly, meeting the worried golden-brown orbs and raising a white eyebrow, nodding slightly. Tsunade nodded in return and took in a deep breath to steady herself. "I'm going to send the six of you on a mission."

There was a momentary stunned silence, before…

"_What_?" Sakura cried out, balling her hands into fists. "But we haven't had much time to get used to one another yet!"

"Be silent girl." Tsunade snapped. "A week from now…" She began but was interrupted at the sight of a quivering Naruto, his head lowered, hands also balled into fists…

She blinked, wondering what was wrong with Naruto… _'What the hell…?'_

The occupants of the room all turned to the blonde boy when they suddenly staggered backwards under the sheer force of his excited outburst.

"A _mission_?! YES!" He yelled triumphantly, pumping his fists high into the air and whooping around the room, all the while ignoring the popping eyes and twitching eyebrows. "What kind of mission is it, B-rank? A-rank? S-RANK?!"

"Shut up!" Jiraiya roared and effectively silenced Naruto by whacking him hard on the head with a fist.

"Ow! You old pervert! What did you do that for?!" He whined and rubbed the sore spot on his head. "Ah man, that's gonna leave a large bump you bastard!"

"What did you say to me?!" The white-haired sennin yelled, square-jawed, glaring daggers at the blonde boy with round eyes who returned it just as quickly.

"You heard me, _bastard_!"

"Ahum!" Tsunade coughed, reducing the glaring session to a pouting match as they stood back to back with their arms crossed angrily in front of their chests.

She gave them a final glare, torn between irritation and amusement; even though this was certainly amusing to watch, business had to be attended to.

"As I was saying…" She began, refocusing everyone's attention to herself. "A week from now, the six of you will have a mission. It will be B-rank, bordering on A-rank, so this will be no simple task. Seeing that Baki didn't come with you three…" She said, motioning towards the Sand-siblings who nodded in return. "…Only Hatake Kakashi will join the six of you. I won't lie to you, this will be a difficult mission. I advise all of you to train hard this week." She trailed off and stared at Naruto. "Naruto-kun, Kakashi and Kumiko will help you while Kumiko will also try and improve herself." Tsunade continued, and then focused her gaze on Sakura who was chewing her bottom lip as if she was fighting some internal struggle. "Sakura, I've heard that you've been training with Rock Lee, correct?"

The pink-haired Kunoichi nodded her affirmative and stuck her chin slightly upwards proudly.

Tsunade smiled. "Well, I've also arranged for someone to help you. I have no doubt you'll learn the new Jutsu she's going to teach you quickly. Her name is Shizune, she has been my companion for many years and she is very capable."

"Yes Hokage-sama." Sakura said and bowed, just barely able to hide her excitement. Training with Rock Lee was all well and good, but she was really curious about what this new Jutsu could be.

Her mind still reeling over the fact that she was going to have to do a mission so quickly after moving into this village, Kumiko asked the only question she could think of. "Excuse me, Hokage-sama. But…"

Tsunade held up her hand to silence her and then spoke up softly. "Don't worry Kumiko. Even when I say it's difficult, I have faith in the abilities of each and everyone one of you. I know that you might be a bit apprehensive about this since you have just arrived at this village, but I trust you." When she received a small smile and nod from the former Hidden Moon Kunoichi, Tsunade continued. "Now, Kakashi will have all the details and will brief you when the appropriate time arrives."

When she looked around and asked if anyone had any further questions, no-one spoke up and she dismissed them, warning them to start training immediately. After seeing Naruto clumsily grasp Temari's hand to walk out of the office together after the rest of the group had left, she chuckled softly. _'Looks like you finally found someone just for you, Naruto-kun…'_ She thought happily until Jiraiya walked up to her and squeezed her shoulder with one of his very large calloused hands.

His dark eyes crinkled as the sennin smiled broadly. "He's one lucky kid, isn't he, Tsunade? A little strange that he's with that girl though."

"Yeah…"

"But you still didn't tell them everything…" He rumbled and removed his hand to step towards one of the windows to stare out over the village.

"I couldn't. They have to find it out for themselves." She sighed and placed her forehead in her hands wearily.

"I know…" Jiraiya said and closed his eyes in deep thought. "But Naruto is special, and you know _why_. I just hope he doesn't get hurt…"

"You told me earlier that you wanted to teach him something, care to tell me what it is and why you didn't tell that to him immediately?" Tsunade asked as she turned to her fellow legendary ninja, who unlike her, didn't hide his aging body with Genjutsu.

"Nope, it's a secret. Let's just say that it's something I haven't been able to pull off myself, and I'm hoping he will." He answered with a grin.

"Ah come on, tell me!" She whined. As Jiraiya very well knew, Tsunade really hated it when people kept things from her and he took great pleasure in torturing her like this.

"Nope." He said again and winked cheekily. "You'll just have to wait."

A few seconds later, the guards outside turned to each other with their eyebrows raised. They were sure they heard a man screaming something along the lines of; "Get away from me you old bat!" But for some reason they decided it was better not to interfere with the strange happenings that took place behind the door they were stationed in front of.

* * *

After having said goodbye to Sakura, Kankuro and Gaara, Naruto and Temari hung back outside of the Hokage tower along with Kumiko, who quite honestly, didn't know what to do and kept staring at the ground with a slight blush on her cheeks as Naruto and Temari tried to part ways so they could start training.

"I'll go back home as soon as I can ok?" Naruto murmured, his voice muffled as her soft lips kept pressing softly, adoringly on his own, her fingers playfully clutching his, refusing to let go.

The boy chuckled, blushing, and grinned when he finally pushed the girl slightly away from him by the shoulders.

Temari looked at him with a flushed expression and smiled. "Okay."

Sapphire eyes locked into emerald ones lovingly until Temari pursed her lips as if to stop from giggling, and swiftly spun around, breaking the moment, and ran away quickly to catch up to her brothers**** waving a quick goodbye at the two that she left behind.

Something strange caught at her heart as she watched the slender figure of the boy waving cheerily back, his golden hair glowing as brightly as the light in those summer-sky eyes…_'Oh, what's wrong with me…'_ She mused. She really didn't know why Naruto affected her so strongly, but inside she knew that she loved this beautiful, new and wonderful lightness within her…

Eager blue eyes watched her disappear, and the boy started slightly at a little giggle beside him.

"You really like her don't you?" Kumiko asked teasingly, snapping Naruto out of his happy daze.

The blonde boy grinned foxily and stuck his hands in the pockets of his khakis nonchalantly. "Yep, hehehe, she's great."

A companionable silence fell on the two of them as Naruto just kept on grinning happily at nothing in particular and Kumiko sat down, folding her hands in her lap and glanced around at the people that walked past them.

"So uhm…" She started hesitantly. "When is Kakashi-sensei meeting us, Naruto-san?"

The young Genin was about to reply that he quite honestly had no idea, until a cloud of smoke erupted in between them, making Naruto jump back in surprise and Kumiko squeak loudly.

"Yo!" A cheery voice greeted them.

Clutching his heart with his left hand, Naruto pointed at the dispersing smoke with his right accusingly. "Aargh! Don't scare us like that, Kakashi-sensei!"

The silver-haired Jounin chuckled and rubbed his neck while waving his other hand in front of him apologetically. "Sorry Naruto, Kumiko."

Brushing off the dirt and dust from her black pants and light-blue jacket, Kumiko glared at her sensei. "You're going to pay!" She proclaimed angrily and something in the tone of her voice did indeed warn the Jounin that she wasn't kidding.

Kakashi chuckled again, though rather warily. "So … are you ready for some training?"

At the mention of training, Naruto forgot everything that had happened and jumped wildly into the air. "Yeah! Let's go!!!" And immediately ran off, leaving Kumiko and Kakashi to look at each other for a moment before they followed him swiftly.

Running after what seemed a mile, Naruto had finally stopped and they found themselves at the field where Team Seven had gotten together the day before.

Not wasting any time, Kakashi quickly clapped his hands together and turned to Kumiko. "Kumiko, would you please train on your own for a little while? I need to talk to Naruto for a moment." He said and motioned towards the blonde boy who was already kicking and punching imaginary foes, the thought of creating a few Kage Bunshins, so he could spar against those instead, never occurring to him.

"Ok, Kakashi-sensei." Kumiko nodded, resting her hand on the sheath of her katana and walking away to create a fair distance between the two of them and her so she wouldn't accidentally hurt either of them.

"Oi, Naruto!" The Jounin yelled, waving his right arm to catch the blonde boy's attention.

Stopping mid-kick, Naruto craned his neck to the person yelling his name, overbalanced and fell on his backside. He got up quickly, muttering several curses under his breath and made his way over to his sensei.

_'Sometimes I wonder if his stupidity is an act…'_ Kakashi mused with a mental face-fault. "Ok Naruto." He began cheerfully and clapped a hand on one of the boy's shoulders. "Did you bring the scroll I gave you for your birthday?"

Patting his jacket down franticly, Naruto fished out a scroll when he felt a large bump in one of the many pockets of his black jacket, and presented it to Kakashi.

"Ok, now for the tricky part…" The Jounin said tentatively, one hand reaching up to rub the back of his head, as if wondering how to phrase this… "Have you, uhm… _talked_ to Kyuubi?"

Blue eyes blinked up at him, a mixture of fear and determination flashing across those sapphire orbs… "Yeah, I have…"

Kakashi saw the slightest shift in those eyes, as if something was stirring deep within… He saw the furrow of concentration appearing on the boy's features, indicating that his focus had shifted, that it was now directed at an unseen essence inside him. In an unreachable place… Unreachable for everyone except him…

Frowning as he saw the blue eyes slowly slide closed, Kakashi's only visible eye narrowed in serious contemplation… _'Amazing...'_ He thought in awe.

_'Hey, fur-ball, you still there?'_

Was the mental question Naruto shot out through the inky darkness that had settled in the back of his mind, allowing no other thoughts to penetrate his focus. As his subconscious reached the enclosed domain of the terrifying chakra, the boy felt the radiating waves of the ancient frustration, the fury of an immense power contained within the smallest of vessels…

A low, rumbling snarl answered his call…

**"Yeah of course I'm still here you stupid human, if I could have left I would have done so a long time ago!"** Kyuubi growled, furious that his vessel dared to treat him like this.

The fury swirled again as he felt the belittling scorn, the mocking laugh of the boy…

_'Shut up wouldya? It's time to make good on that promise you made.' _

But even Naruto, clinging to his boisterous façade, shifted uneasily as he hear that chilling rumbling laugh again, the way it bounced and echoed around the walls of the cage which held the most terrifying monster known to man…

**"Is it that time already?"** The demon-fox chuckled throatily. **"Alright then… Are you ready?"**

Despite his resolve to get stronger, Naruto was feeling slightly apprehensive. _'Ready for what?'_

**"For this!"**

All the boy was conscious of was the sadistic growl and then a single heartbeat went by, allowing Naruto the time to wonder what Kyuubi meant by that, before…

Something was rising… Something was coming up at tremendous speed from a place deep within… Swifter, and even deadlier than the eruption of a volcano, this was…

His eyes closed, his lips opened in a silent scream… The scream reverberated around and around his mind, reaching all the dark hidden shadows of his consciousness, even places which he had never been aware of before…

Colours… Flashes of colours, streaks of lightning found targets around every part of his soul…

It terrified him more than anything had done before…

_'This…_

_This can't be… pain…_

_Never… Never felt anything like this before… _

_This can't be…'_

"Aaah! AAAAH!!!"

Naruto fell on his back, trashing his legs around wildly and clawing at his stomach.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

It was pain beyond belief. Beyond _imagining_. It felt like someone had carved his belly open and was shoving red-hot pokers inside it…

The sensation spread in a swirling motion, arms, legs, face. Every single nerve-ending screamed in agony, the screams rising to a feverish pitch which Naruto's voice could not hope to match. His brain felt like it was exploding and dribbling out of his ears and nostrils. No torture could ever match this level of pain.

And then it suddenly…

…stopped.

While Naruto's screams resounded through the clearing, the Jounin had sprung to his side in an instant. Ripping off his head protector and inspecting Naruto's small frame with his now revealed eye, the Sharingan glowing red and spinning like crazy, absorbing the information which was now revealed to him. What he saw would remain with him for life…

Glowing and pulsing brightly than any star, a nova of red chakra was centered in Naruto's stomach…

"Kakashi-sensei! What is wrong with…" A voice suddenly yelled behind the Jounin as Kumiko had made her way back and noticed Naruto's screaming.

Her eyes widened in horror, her voice caught in her throat. "Oh my god… what's wrong with him?!" She managed in a strangled whisper.

Kakashi wanted to answer, but he wasn't exactly sure himself either. But both of them were silenced immediately when Naruto screamed again.

Naruto wanted to end it all. This was just too much pain to bear…

Anything… _Anything_ to get rid of the… The _PAIN_…

Maybe poking himself in the eyes and driving his fingers through to his brain would be a good idea…

_Yeah that sounded really good at the moment to him…_

But even before he could reach for his eyes, an otherworldly growl resounded through his mind, calming him slightly. **"Hang on kid, don't quit on me now, it's almost over…"**

It was about then that Naruto's screams reached a sickening and feverish pitch.

Kumiko was terrified, she wanted to help the boy as he lay on the floor, twitching and flailing madly, his fingers clawing, raking across his face, his body… She had no idea what was going on…

As she made to dart forwards, a deep voice stopped her.

"Kumiko, stay back!"

An arm was flung across her chest, barring her path. She glanced upwards fearfully at the tall Jounin, at the silent terror in his eyes, the contained horror and… A quiet understanding…

His jaw tense, Kakashi's thoughts whirled frantically, his heart ached for his student. He desperately wanted to do something, but he knew that it wasn't his position to help…_ 'Whatever he's going through, it's something beyond our reach… Beyond any help we can give… And I also know that it's vitally important… Naruto…'_

And yet, though he tried to assure himself by that thought, nothing – _nothing_ could have prepared him for what happened next…

The Jounin almost felt his heart pause in its furious thundering momentarily at the sight that greeted him…

The boy's slender body was twisted in a painfully tense, inflexible position, spread-eagled…

Violent trembling seemed to start and stop… Start and stop… His mouth was twisted in a silent scream, all colour drained completely from his face, his features were caught in a fierce grip, a snapping tension that seemed to tear him apart…

Something was happening, something so terrible, so awful they couldn't even begin to…

But the living nightmare took on a more frightening reality all of a sudden…

The boy's eyes snapped open…

But it wasn't the beautiful bright blue that they'd been used to for so long…

Because suddenly they realized that what they were seeing was that shifting of something deep within him… A giant menace had come to life… What had previously been invisible had taken _form_… Had taken _substance_…

And it had chosen those eyes… It had chosen those innocent glowing orbs to make its demonic, fiendish presence known…

Because no longer were they the bright summer skies…

They were intense… Deep… The colour of the raw, savage, most primal emotion known to mankind…

The colour of anger…

Of raging and rising fury…

…Red…

Suddenly that ancient fury seemed to flicker from that place somewhere deep within… Just like the light of a candle is brightest before it fades, so this evil glow was as well…

The Jounin and the girl could only watch in horror, numbly, helplessly as the painful tension within the boy's body slowly calmed…

But they never saw the return of his blue orbs… Though the blood red had faded… It had left something behind…

As the flickering died away, his eyes closed in terrible weariness and his body turned slack…

All Naruto remembered after the torment he had gone through, was his seemingly weightless body being picked up by a tall man with silver-hair, and though the man's mouth was hidden behind a mask, the blonde boy was sure he was shouting something at him.

Smiling faintly, Naruto let out a weary sigh and let the darkness take him.

* * *

**"Kid…"** Kyuubi growled, pacing impatiently behind the towering gate within Naruto's psyche as he looked down at the slumped form of Naruto, sleeping peacefully just out of reach.

_'…'_

**"Kid!"** The demon repeated, an angry tone becoming apparent when the blonde boy didn't answer the first time.

_'Mmmf.'_ Was the slurred reply.

**"_Wake up already you pink flesh bag_!"** Kyuubi roared, about ready to disembowel the blonde youth.

Naruto was jolted awake and jumped up, immediately reaching for his eyes to rub them with the back of his hands. _'What! What is it?!' _He yelled, annoyed due to being woken up so abruptly.

**"It's time that you wake up…"** Kyuubi trailed off and wrapped its nine tails around its giant body.** "Remember the promise you made, I will collect your debt in the near future… Now… Open your eyes…"** The giant fox finished and sent out a burst of chakra.

Automatically flinging his arms in front of himself protectively, Naruto was surprised that the chakra, which had taken the form of a thick red haze, didn't feel threatening in the slightest for some odd reason, unlike the first time Kyuubi had done so.

But Naruto had no time to ponder about this though, as the almost tangible haze swirled around him like a vortex, and forced him out of this inner prison…

He felt like he was floating, being carried on a gentle breeze until a sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach and with the sudden realization he knew he was back in control of his body, and lying on something… Soft… And something was lying on top of him…?

Stirring only slightly, he cracked his eyelids open only to scrunch them closed immediately as a blast of sunshine hit him squarely in the eyes. Now slightly more carefully, he re-opened his eyelids and squinted, taking in his surroundings.

_'Why… Why am I back in my room?'_ He mused as he saw the various posters and scrolls adorning the opposite wall and noticed his various pieces of clothing strewn across his only chair, desk and of course, on the floor…

When Naruto tried to shift his body to sit upright, he again noticed that something was lying on top of him. He peered down and immediately a goofy grin framed his features.

_'Temari…_'

The sparse sunlight that beamed through his only window made her sandy-coloured hair shine, her four normally neatly tied pigtails were slightly undone, no doubt that had occurred during her sleep, but Naruto thought it only made her seem even more beautiful. Her almond shaped emerald eyes were closed and every now and again her nose would scrunch up cutely, almost making Naruto chuckle.

But as she lay there next to him on top of his blanket, her head on his chest and left arm wrapped around his midsection, he couldn't allow himself to make any sound at all. He really didn't want to disturb this angelic vision, he was sure it would be nothing short of blasphemy.

He let himself sigh contently, causing Temari's head to bob up and down slightly before closing his eyes again. This was just perfect…

"I know you're awake, Naruto-kun…"

_'Damn.'_

Naruto opened his eyes regretfully, damning himself for waking her up. He really wanted to lie here just a little bit longer…

He let his eyes shift downwards yet again to look at Temari, only to find her staring up at him with a worried expression.

"How did you know…?" He started but was interrupted by the girl who was still holding him tightly.

"That you were awake?" She finished for him and received a nod from Naruto in conformation. Temari mock-scowled and batted him on his left arm with her free hand, still refusing to let him go. "Well I _am_ a Kunoichi you know."

Naruto grinned. "Yep, and a damn good one too."

"I'm glad you think so, otherwise I'd have to prove it to you." Temari grinned at him wickedly.

"No thanks, I've seen you in the Chuunin exams remember? And no doubt you've become even better. I really don't want to fight against you, Temari-chan." He said and freed his arms from beneath his blanket to wrap them around Temari's shoulders.

A comfortable silence fell as Temari put her head on his chest again and tightened her arms around him. After what seemed like a few minutes, she spoke up again. "I was really worried you know…"

"About what?" Naruto asked. "About yesterday?"

Temari's head snapped back up and looked at him with open-mouthed. "Yesterday?" She asked in return. "That wasn't yesterday."

"It wasn't?" The blonde boy inquired, confusion clearly written on his face. "But I…"

"Your sensei, Kakashi, brought you home a _week_ ago, Naruto-kun."

"A week?!" Naruto exclaimed and seated himself upright, throwing off Temari in the process who tried hard not to glare at him. "But what about the mission! And what about…"

Any further ramblings were stopped however when Temari placed a finger gently on Naruto's lips. She shifted herself into a sitting position next to the blonde boy and explained. "You were asleep for a whole week, the rest of us have been training when we could but when Kakashi went to Hokage-sama, she postponed the mission for another week. I've tried training but…" She trailed off and blushed slightly. "I've spent more time here than actually allowing myself to train though…"

"Really?" Naruto asked, feeling like something inside him was filling him with warmth he couldn't deny and stared lovingly into Temari's emerald eyes.

It looked as if she was about to nod, but to his horror, her eyes widened and recoiled.

She clutched her sweater tightly with one hand and used the other to point at his face. "N-Naruto-kun…"

_'What the…'_ He mentally questioned himself, wondering if he had done something wrong, and if he had, what it was exactly.

The hand pointing at his face wavering slightly, Temari took in a sharp breath. "Naruto-kun… Y-your eyes…"

Immediately Naruto's hands went up to his face, as if to grope what his girlfriend was pointing at. "What's wrong with my eyes?" He asked. "They feel fine."

Naruto wanted to ask if she was making fun of him, but that idea quickly got squashed when he saw that the shock on the Kunoichi's face was genuine. When she got up and quickly and dashed out of his room he called out to her, afraid that she would leave him for something he really didn't know anything about, but he needn't have bothered as she returned just as quickly, carrying a small plain mirror in her hands.

Walking uncertainly towards Naruto, she handed it to him and sat down on the other side of his futon, now eyeing him with disbelief.

_'What the hell is going on?' _Naruto wondered as he warily lifted the mirror to eye-level and see what had upset Temari so much. When he saw what she had seen, he nearly dropped the mirror in shock …

_Red…_

_Sapphire… Ruby…_

His eyes, once a pure sky-blue, were now flecked with a crimson red - creating an unnerving mosaic of sapphire and ruby. But what really scared him the most was that after peering what seemed like an eternity into his own eyes, he could have sworn that his pupils turned into slits, just like they did when he drew on Kyuubi's power during a fight. But when he blinked, they were round like they were before.

Shaking his head, he decided that he must have been imagining things. He stared wordlessly at Temari for a few moments, who stared back, her shock apparently replaced by something else. And now he definitely knew he was imagining things, because it actually looked like she was amazed by his new eyes.

Staring at his reflection once again, he had to admit though, that the intricate pattern of the blue and red was kind of… Cool… But he wasn't too sure. After all, it wasn't every day that you woke up and you found yourself with a new set of eyes.

His musings were interrupted however when Temari placed both of her hands on his cheeks. Dropping the mirror in his lap, he gazed into the emerald eyes of the girl that held his heart.

"It's… _him_ isn't it?" She asked.

Naruto didn't need to ask whom she meant by _him_, and nodded dumbly. "Yeah…"

She nodded in return and swiftly moved forwards, covering his lips with her own, her fingers softly and lightly brushing over his eyelids…

The blonde boy wondered for a moment what she was doing, until he felt a gentle caress over his eyes. Startled, he opened them to see her drawing back, a gentle tinge on her cheeks, her emerald eyes shining, and something… Something _warm_ glowing within them…

"I don't care if you've got new eyes, I love you all the same." She said, and gave him that special smile, reserved just for him.

Lost for words, Naruto darted forward, kissed her and then grabbed her in a fierce embrace, unwilling to let go. "Thank you." He said thickly and nuzzled her slender neck.

Gently he felt her soft hands pressing his shoulders back, and then felt the softness of his pillows underneath him. His eyes locked with her sparkling emerald green, watching her as she lay down beside him.

The time to face the world would come soon, but for the moment, neither wanted anything more than the other's company…

* * *

A few hours later, when the two youths were finally able to pry themselves away from each other, Naruto figured it was time to face the proverbial music. Before they left though, he had almost attempted to hide his new eyes through Genjutsu, but Temari had stopped him by simply placing a hand on his arm and shaking her head.

Still, he was afraid. He knew that someday he was going to have to tell his friends about Kyuubi, but between the choices of sooner or later, he would rather choose the latter option. The transformation of his eyes just made it seem like the eventual confession would come too soon, and he didn't know if he would be ready for it.

Taking a deep breath and receiving a comforting squeeze from Temari, they left the house together and went to look for his sensei and Kumiko.

_'No sense in wasting any time.'_ He thought.

While others might have been bedridden for months on end after the excruciating pain, Naruto had experienced, he managed to be up and about after a mere week. In fact, he felt absolutely great. He knew that Kyuubi had granted him power, but he felt like he could take on the world, and then some…

As they walked towards the training-field where the incident had happened a week ago, Naruto couldn't help but notice one thing. Particularly when he kept stealing glances at the girl next to him, who returned them just as quickly with a warm smile. The glances kept following each other more rapidly though when it suddenly hit them.

They were equally tall.

Just a week before, Temari had to bend her head slightly downwards to kiss the blonde Genin, but now… The Kunoichi had heard of growth-spurts, but this was ridiculous.

"Naruto-kun, you've become taller…" She said, stating the very obvious.

Scratching his head, Naruto could only nod his head in response. "Y-yeah…" He managed to utter before another thing hit him. If he had grown like this… That meant…

"Whoohoo!" He shouted happily, startling Temari. "I'm not short anymore!"

Temari laughed merrily, Naruto really did see the best in the changes he went through. "Yes Naruto-kun, you're not short anymore."

Naruto halted his outburst momentarily and turned to the girl walking next to him. He nodded vigorously while grinning broadly all the while. "Oh man, this is _so_ cool!" He said. "Just wait until Kakashi-sensei sees me, he'll flip!"

Her eyes crinkling, Temari just smiled and listened to the things Naruto was going to be able to do with his new height and the people he was going to impress. In no time at all however, they reached the training-field and heard the several shouts being sent back and forth until suddenly, they saw a gigantic ball of lightning being shot towards one of the figures using the field.

"What's that?!" Naruto gasped in awe, his euphoria about his newly attained height completely forgotten.

As Temari watched the ball of crackling silvery-white energy bounce thrice, scorching the grass every time it hit the ground, hit the figure, she gulped. "I don't know…" She whispered as the figure was blasted backwards with a loud grunt and impacted the ground with a painful thud. A second later though, the figure disappeared in cloud of smoke, revealing a very heavily charred log instead.

"Kawarimi…" Naruto breathed. "That was Kakashi-sensei, so that means that Kumiko-san used that technique?!"

Temari swore. _'Shit, she's a lightning user? My wind techniques are nearly useless against those!'_ Even though she knew that she would probably never have to fight Kumiko, Temari couldn't help but be annoyed. Her jealousy wouldn't accept a potential rival who could steal her boyfriend from her, to be stronger than her. No matter what the cost, she _would_ be stronger.

She was snapped out of her reverie however, when Naruto spoke up again. "Come on, let's go." He said, and dragged Temari with him towards Kumiko, who was currently scanning her surroundings, obviously trying to found out where her sensei had gone.

The white-haired girl quickly spotted them though, and returned her blade, which she was still holding warily in her hands as if to fend off any incoming attacks, to her sheath with a sharp snap.

"Naruto-san! Temari-san!" She called out, waving energetically at them with one hand and brushing several rebellious strands of her hair out of her eyes with the other. "Kakashi-sensei, he's back!"

A small explosion and a cloud of lazy grey smoke announced the arrival of her teacher. "Yo." He said simply, staring at the boy with a lazy eye, then turned to Kumiko, who was now standing next to him. "Kumiko, what was that technique?"

"Yeah! It was awesome!" Naruto interjected eagerly.

Kumiko had the grace to blush after hearing the praise and explained. "It's Kyuuden no Jutsu (Ball Lightning), it was… _Is_… A technique from my clan."

"Cool!" The blonde Genin exclaimed and threw his hands forward to grasp Kumiko's delicate hands. "Can you teach me that technique?" He pleaded, jutting out his lower lip and stared at her with watery eyes.

Seeing and sensing an almost palpable aura of killer-intent surround Temari as she watched her boyfriend fraternize with her so freely, Kumiko quickly retracted her hands and stared at the ground. "I'm afraid I can't, Naruto-san. It's a technique developed by my clan, it would be wrong to teach it to other people."

Looking put-out for only a moment, Naruto quickly recovered and nodded in understanding. He grinned and placed an arm around Temari's shoulders instead. "It's ok, Kumiko-san."

"Naruto…" Kakashi suddenly said, his only visibly eye turned deathly serious. "What's happened to you?"

"Huh? What do you…" Naruto began until realization on what his sensei meant suddenly dawned on him. "Oh this?" He said, pointing at his eyes and hovering an outstretched hand between the top of his and Temari's head.

Only receiving a nod of acknowledgement and a raised eyebrow from his teammate, he continued. "I don't know… I think it has something to do with you know what in the you know where…" He said, displaying an uncommon amount of intelligence in keeping his secret from the white-haired girl, and shot a knowing look at the tall Jounin.

This comment only caused Kumiko's other eyebrow to shoot up as well, now both in danger of disappearing into her hairline completely. _'What are they talking about?'_ She wondered, though now taking a closer look at Naruto, she did indeed see there was something different about him. He seemed taller and… His eyes… They were almost… Hypnotic…

Shaking her head to clear her mind of these thoughts, she glanced sideways at her sensei and noticed him staring his now only male student squarely in the eyes.

"Naruto… Have there been any other… Side effects?" Kakashi asked gravely, not even the slightest hint of humour apparent in his voice.

Tapping his chin for a few moments and then looking at Temari as if to confirm some unspoken words, he shook his head. "No, I feel fine. Actually… I feel great!" He grinned and stuck his hands into the air to support his words.

Kakashi looked at him doubtfully, but dropped the subject nonetheless. They had work to do, and even if Naruto had undergone some significant change, the Hokage had given him specific orders not to waste any time and start his training immediately. When questioned about her orders, she had simply raised a hand to silence him and then summarily dismissed him. Faced with no other option other than to obey her, Kakashi had walked silently out of her office and started training with his new student until Naruto was able to join them again.

Yesterday however, he had checked on Sakura and was pleased to see her working so hard to become a better Kunoichi. Maybe Sasuke's betrayal did have one good effect after all…

"So, when are we starting?" Naruto asked suddenly, craning his head every which way, already scouting the area and obviously eager to get started.

Temari smiled when she looked at him but narrowed her eyes dangerously as she shifted her gaze at Kumiko. "Yes, when _are_ you going to start again?"

Clearing his throat uneasily and watching Kumiko take up a sudden interest in her feet, Kakashi nodded sagely. "We'll begin immediately. Naruto, do you still remember the hand seals?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"Ok, that's the easy part." Kakashi said and then held up one finger to capture everyone's attention. "Now when you focus your chakra, envision it gathering in your hand, make it take the shape that you want and hold it there."

"Oh! Like the Rasengan, right?" Naruto nodded.

"Yes, partly. But with the Rasengan you just need to hold the spherical shape… I'm not saying it isn't difficult to do." Kakashi said quickly, seeing the look of outrage form on his student's face. "This is just different, it's a lower level technique but it still requires a massive amount of concentration, it might just blow up in your face if you don't succeed."

"Oh…" Naruto added quietly and frowned.

Taking this moment to address the two other girls, Kakashi turned to them with a small smile hidden behind his mask. "Temari, if you wouldn't mind, would you spar with Kumiko a little bit while I help Naruto perform this technique?"

Snapping her head upwards in shock and surprise, Kumiko squeaked when she saw the wolfish grin and blazing emerald eyes directed her way.

"It would be my… _Pleasure_…"

_'Oh crap…'_ Kumiko thought and followed the other girl soundlessly as she stalked away from the other two. There was no doubt in her mind that Temari really wanted to fight her, but her only concern was, would she forget that this would be just a sparring session? _'…man, I'm so screwed…'_

"Now, Naruto, let's give it a go, shall we?" Kakashi suggested and closed his only visible eye in a happy crinkle.

* * *

"Aw jeez, Ino, why drag me into all of this?" Shikamaru whined as he his arm was yet in another vice-like grip from said girl.

Ino turned her head impatiently and glared at him, Shikamaru could have sworn he heard her growl. "Because! And I told you, call me Ino-_chan_." She hissed, twisting his arm slightly to punctuate her point.

_'Because? What the hell kind of answer is that?' _Shikamaru questioned in his mind, trying hard not to wince from the pain the girl, who had stuck to him like glue for a whole week now, had caused him. "I still don't see why you want to spy on them…"

Twisting his arm even further, Ino smirked when Shikamaru dropped to his knees with a grunt, grabbing his shoulder in an effort to not let it get dislocated. "It's not _spying_, Shika-kun." She said in an overly sweet voice, which was lost on the black-haired youth as he motioned franticly that Ino should let him go.

When she did, but only after a few more seconds, he stood up and scowled while rubbing the spot where she had gripped him so ferociously. He really wanted to rant and rave about the way she was treating him. How could she just be terribly sweet to him one minute and then turn into an evil witch the next? But like many things, Shikamaru decided that it was too troublesome and asked her another question instead.

"If it's not spying, then what is it?"

"We're just going to see how they are doing…" She explained with a sigh.

"From the bushes?" Shikamaru added.

"Yes." She confirmed with a quick nod. "Now you're getting it."

Looking up at the sky, Shikamaru really wished he was one of the clouds now and could get away from the blonde girl's mad scheming. But alas, that wish was shattered, trampled and then spit on several times when Ino grabbed his arm again and dragged him off to their original objective; Naruto and Temari.

Yes, Naruto and Temari.

Ever since Ino had found out about them, she had been plotting like crazy and had been ferreting around for information, though she was careful not to let anyone else know. Well, aside from Shikamaru, of course. Due to some sadistic twist of fate, he had been ambushed a week ago and had been forced into helping Ino.

Which he definitely didn't want to do…

_'Why me?'_ Was the question that rang through his mind lately, more often than he cared for.

"We're almost there." Ino suddenly said excitedly and tugged on Shikamaru's arm a little harder.

Resigning himself to his 'mission', because after all, it would be too troublesome if he tried to resist since he wouldn't be able to win against Ino, he switched off his mind. He didn't know how long they had been walking but suddenly he found himself bumping against the back of the girl that had been man-handling him for the past few hours.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" He demanded, rubbing his now painful nose before his attention was drawn to something else. He did not even notice Ino's mouth hanging half-open and her hand raised to point at somewhere in front of them.

* * *

With a loud scream, Kumiko found herself being blown backwards into a massive tree by another heavy gust of wind.

This sparring session was going the wrong way fast, no it had already gone wrong. As she had feared, her opponent had taken it too far. She was bleeding and her new training-attire was only hanging together on little scraps of cloth and loose threads. _'That outfit cost me a lot of money too!'_ She thought angrily.

Even though her body was feeling sore and not even doubting that tomorrow she would be a colourful collection of scabs, bruises and cuts, Kumiko didn't want to give up. It was preposterous that Temari wanted to hurt her like this. Being jealous was one thing, but this was really going too far.

When she saw Temari readying her fully opened fan again, the white-haired Kunoichi scrambled to her feet and hid behind the tree, muttering a silent prayer for it being there so she could shelter.

_'One… Two… Three'_

"Ninpou: Dai Kamaitachi!" (Cyclone Blade)

There it was…

Gripping her head and pinning her knees to her chest as tightly as she could, she braced for the impact of the technique the murderous Sand-nin was sending her way. A sudden sharp howling alerted her to the incoming attack and made Kumiko quiver as she tried to make herself even smaller.

Loud cracks and snaps were heard as the aerial blades tried to cut through the thick trunk of the tree but only managed to remove several large branches from the now leafless crown instead. Wind along with several chunks of dirt whipped around the trunk, gashing her cheeks and causing her dirt and woodchip infested hair to flutter wildly forwards.

Several thuds all around her notified her of the impact the branches had made and the girl cracked one eye carefully open, scanning her surroundings, trying to see if Temari might have actually swerved around in an arc to attack her from another angle. Not seeing anything threatening though, she breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, not even bothering to pat the dirt from her ruined clothes.

Her shoulders pressed against the sturdy tree trunk, Kumiko's intent silvery eyes peered cautiously around the trunk…

She blinked in surprise, then scowled slightly when she saw Temari's slender figure a short distance away, one hand resting lightly on her hip, the fingers of her other hand curled around her folded up fan.

But the thing that pissed Kumiko off the most was that triumphant, sneering smirk on Temari's face.

_'Who is she trying to impress…'_ Kumiko thought angrily, seething to herself. _'…stupid psychotic bitch.'_

"Come on, Kumiko-_chan_!" Temari called out mockingly, intentionally belittling Kumiko. "_Don't_ tell me you're giving up already!"

Gritting her teeth, the white-haired girl stepped away from the now ravaged tree. "Of course I'm not, Temari-_chan_." She shouted back, returning the painfully obvious insult as she gripped her beautifully ornamented katana tightly.

Temari narrowed her eyes to barely visible slits and gripped her fan tighter, her arm tensing then a swift flick of the wrist, and the giant fan had spread to the San no Hoshi (Third Star). "Oh well, you had your time to give up." She growled.

Raising the blade in front of her, Kumiko's eyes narrowed, a little tense smile touching her lips. "Bring it on."

Her features straining in obvious concentration, Temari jerked her fan backwards to gather enough momentum as she unleashed one of her most powerful attacks.

She smirked as she saw her opponent leap forwards, bringing the katana above her head with both of her hands …

_'It's of no use, you're still too far away to stop it.' _She thought.

"Ninpou…" She began and watched Kumiko jump upwards, her clothes fluttering behind her as her body tried to defy gravity…

"Dai…" Temari continued and followed the white-haired girl with her eyes, her legs shifting to compensate for the changing angle her attack had to take.

"KAMAITACHI!!!" She roared, unleashing the full fury of her attack only to have her eyes widen in horror as Kumiko unleashed her own.

Time seemed to slow down for Kumiko as she bent backwards slightly, calling on enough energy to pierce to ferocious razor-sharp blades of wind being sent her way, which were eager to let more of her blood flow today.

But she wouldn't allow it. With a graceful arc, she brought the blade overhead again and let loose her attack.

"SHINKEN NO JUTSU!!!" (Divine Sword)

A sudden crack seemed to split the air and emerald eyes blinked in confusion, then widened even further…

From out of nowhere, purple lightning gathered in the sharp piece metal. Static electricity suddenly permeated through the air around the two girls, raising the hairs on their heads and on the back of their necks.

The lightning pulsed and crackled, gathering all along the blade, until Kumiko had the tip of her sword pointed at the Sand-nin… A swift flick of her wrists and the lightning hurtled towards its target…

Ripping through the air, the purple lightning disrupted the wind currents and rendered them harmless as they were before, but it didn't stop.

With a booming bang it impacted the fan Temari was so proud of, simply causing the sturdy black lacquered wood and carefully painted cloth to burn up and explode.

The force of the impact and resulting explosion sent Temari flying much like Kumiko earlier. Twisting strangely beautifully through the air as she spun around like a rag doll only one thought entered Temari's mind before she hit the ground with a painful, loud resounding crash and all turned to black.

_'Goddamn lightning-user…'_

__

* * *

__

_A/N: Well what can I say… Hopefully this sort of makes up for the month of silence from me, if it doesn't… Well… Sorry?_

_Regardless, I think this part turned out well, and I had more ideas for it, but it's already over twenty-two pages, which is enough for one chapter, right? So yeah, there's going to be a part three, and they'll go on the mission, I swear!_

_Everyone who sent me those kind words whether they had to do with my birthday or going back to school, thank you._

_Many thanks to **refused** and **Princess-Tsunade** for putting up with me and taking their time to go over this chapter, it's really appreciated._

_Not much else to say really, so on to the review response!_

_**refused:** You dare demand an update from me while you don't update your own? Get busy writing or I'll hurt you. Seriously…_

_**Princess-Tsunade:** Bleh, I hope you're happy now. Kumiko won eh? Oh by the way, no I'm not telling you what Akamaru told Kiba, I'll leave that up to everyone's imagination. I'm glad you enjoyed it so far. :P_

_**One Azn Dragon:** Your questions have been answered already I think, thanks for the review!_

_**Lek Nufrac:** I won't comment about the pairing for Kumiko, that might still be a ways off. But I can tell you that there won't be a Hinata/Sasuke pairing, sorry._

_**Black Fyre Dragun:** You'll just have to wait and see for what Naruto bought for Temari. I hope you didn't punch too many people while waiting for the update… And I'd like to see those pictures you drew, so find a scanner soon eh?_

_**Anime Lance:** Well the main problem with the sword play for Kumiko, is that I haven't used a sword, ever… Neither have I seen many movies where it is used the way I described. And I don't have writer's block yet… (knocks on wood) I just have too many ideas that I want to cram into one chapter…_

_**Kuwabaras pupil and I.P.Freely:** I can't tell you what's happening next because it would spoil everything now wouldn't it? Thanks for the review!_

_**Max Knight:** I try to keep this fic as different as possible from Betrothal, because even though it is extremely awesome, it would suck if I just stole plot ideas and everything._

_**Raidin:** Thanks, and no I'm not underage, I turned twenty, so… Anyway, I'm sad to hear that you won't be able to replace your chapters, they're good already but they can become even more awesome. :)_

_**Pyr00tje:** I try my best to avoid errors and stuff but sometimes they slip past me sadly enough… And about learning to use the katana, well I hope it'll be part of the next chapter…_

_**blazer6:** Not going to tell you what he bought, but yes the mission will be soon. Next chapter in fact… Hopefully… And yeah, I'll email KaiuRoshi._

_**inusaiyan:** Yeah I'm going to have lots of fun with Naruto trying to loosen up Gaara. Thanks for the review. :)_

_**Omnis Morganis:** Like hell I'm making you or anyone else look bad, I just really hope you'll update soon, your story is awesome, I want to read more of it dangit!_

_**Idiosyncrasies:** You want me to make my chapters even longer…? Are you crazy? They're quite long enough thank you… :P And I don't know, I'm not commenting on the pairing for Kumiko._

_**Yondaime-samaKazaraYume:** I'm not saying anything about the pairing for Kumiko… And where is the fanart? I want to see it, well if you've drawn anything that is. I'll read your chapter asap and leave a review, I've just been really busy lately, sorry._

_**Psycho Violinist of Silentwood:** Oh I think Sasuke will be in for quite a few shocks when he wakes up, yeah._

_**stoictimer:** More fights are on their way, hope you enjoyed the one in this chapter at any rate._

_**kashisenshey:** No don't commit seppuku! I want you to review more eh? But if you don't want to read, I guess I could always stop updating at all though…_

_**Calophi:** That was one of my fears as well, I really don't want a Mary-Sue in my story nor do I want to over-power anyone. I'm glad you liked my OC so far._

_**gaggingboy:** It's here, happy?****_

_**SilverMoonlight:** Nope, not dead as you can see. And yeah, I know about that update problem everyone seems to be having. It's annoying, I want to read dangit!_

_**ANBU-Naruto:** I just might make more, but don't worry, this one isn't finished by a long shot._

_**Raison:** Uhm, well I haven't actually received any I'm afraid. But I do know of a lot. Check my favorite list at least, there are a few there anyway._

_**ninja wannabee:** Uh, no, she won't be a Sasuke fangirl. Thanks for the review!_

_**Kyubi-Naruto, Crutches, clicke, Inferno-Dragonz, Miszy-Anne, arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, TopQuark, Gopu, Sirus183, Ice Dragon XXI, Peradis, nonengel, TimeShifter16, Skuld's Sentaro, Arbil, blaboy:** Thank you all so much for the reviews and kind words, hopefully you'll leave another review!_

_Wow, a lot of reviews for my previous chapter, thanks everyone they really give me the energy to keep writing. I hope I'll receive the same amount for this one since university is already proving to be difficult for as far as the workload is concerned. Thanks again!_


	15. Laying the Foundation Part III

**Do You Hate Me?**

Title subject to change, rating PG13 to be on the safe side.

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, I do own the plot of this story (for as far as there is one) and the extra characters I may or may not add._

_Response to reviews at the bottom, be sure to read the A/N's._

**Chapter 15 – Laying the Foundation - Part III:**

_Only just three years old, a little girl grinned happily as she played on the shaggy rug in the living room with the sparse toys her house provided. Taking a sideways glance though, she saw her little brother approaching and pouted immediately. She turned to him and quickly hid the wooden doll she had gotten on her birthday a few months ago. For some strange reason, her little brother just wouldn't stop trying to get his hands on it. Obviously she wasn't going to let that happen, it was hers and hers alone._

"_No, Kankuro! This is my dolly! Go play with your own toys!" She yelled in a bossy tone, already knowing what he was after._

"_Dowwy! Dowwy!" Her brother giggled, a small amount of drool dribbling from his lower lip as he stretched his chubby arms out to his sister. "Temawi, dowwy!"_

"_It's Temari!" The girl said, infuriated that her smaller brother couldn't even pronounce her name properly. "No, you can't have it!"_

"_Dowwy!" Kankuro protested as he tried to stand up, immediately falling backwards on his backside._

"_No!" Temari shouted and stood up, holding the pale wooden doll above her head. Her brother's eyes widened at the now insurmountable task of getting the object he so greatly desired, and did the only thing he was able to do._

_He cried._

_Cringing as the earsplitting bawling hit her eardrums mercilessly, Temari ran quickly out of the living room, her four pigtails of which she was so terribly proud of, bobbing up and down as she left her crying brother behind. When she reached the hallway and stood at the bottom of the stairs that led to the first floor, she let out a breath of relief. _

_Her emerald eyes glanced about, looking for another spot where she could play but couldn't find anything. She took a step in the direction of the kitchen, but cringed again when she heard someone shout her name from upstairs. _

"_Temari-chan!"_

_Temari's brain seemed to be able to produce only one thought, did her mother hear Kankuro crying and was she going to be punished? Shaking her head from side to side fiercely, she dismissed that thought. No of course she wasn't going to be punished; her mother loved her more than anything, which was something the little girl had always been eager to exploit._

_But she couldn't help but squeak and hide behind the large plant that stood next to the front door as she heard her mother call out to her again, a tone of urgency apparent in her voice._

* * *

Flabbergasted... Struck speechless... 

That pretty much summed up the reaction of Ino and Shikamaru as they stood, mouths agape, watching the scene in front of them.

"N-naruto..." Ino started feebly, pointing half-heartedly at the boy standing a fair distance from the two. Shikamaru nodded dumbly, pretty much understanding what she was trying to say.

Naruto... The number one hyper-active brat of Konoha, was holding nothing other than a ten foot long, massive red blade in his hands...

Well... Attempting to hold it anyway.

A silver-haired man, who previously went unnoticed by Ino and Shikamaru, scratched the back of his head and stared in disbelief at Naruto. "Naruto..." He chuckled nervously. "I think you might have overdone it a little..."

Features straining in obvious exertion and concentration, Naruto turned to the Jounin as he wobbled back and forth; desperately trying to keep the blade balanced so it wouldn't tip over and possibly kill the two of them at the same time. "I know that damnit!" He grunted, blinking the perspiration out of his eyes that dripped from under his spiky bangs, which were no longer held up by his forehead protector.

'_His chakra-control was already terrible, but...'_ Kakashi thought, cutting his musings short to focus his attention on the two speechless spectators. "Hey Ino, Shikamaru, what are you two doing here?" He asked casually, his tone oddly amiable in the presence of something so unearthly and strange.

After a moments pause, the Jounin saw that he wasn't going to get a reaction while his student was juggling the humongous blade in his hands. Kakashi walked up behind him and unceremoniously gave him a shove between the shoulder blades. His concentration shattered, Naruto gave a cry of surprise and fell flat on his face. Fearing the blade was going to chop him in half, he quickly rolled on his back, closed his eyes and flung his arms in front of him protectively. But when after a few seconds he was still intact, he cracked open one eye ever so slightly and saw that the sword had simply disappeared.

Kakashi chuckled again. "Oni no Kiba will dissipate if it leaves your hands, Naruto."

"Oh." The blonde boy deadpanned and picked himself up from the ground, patting himself down in a vain effort to clean himself. Naruto might not have been very focused on personal hygiene and his appearance in the past, but ever since Temari had cornered him and threatened to separate his limbs from his body when he came home after training for a few hours, covered in grass-stains, dirt and another whole assortment of icky things, he did indeed pay more attention to how he and his clothes looked. And even though it was a pain in the ass to have to keep watching out for his cleanliness, Naruto just had to look at Temari once, and then he knew it was just worth it.

Smiling behind his mask, Kakashi shouted at Ino and Shikamaru again. "Hey, you two, come here!"

Snapping out of their awe-inspired daze, Ino swallowed hard and Shikamaru scowled, but both of them walked towards Naruto and his sensei, albeit slightly reluctantly.

When they approached the two who, just moments before were obviously practicing a very dangerous technique, Ino's bright blue eyes sparkled with wonder and let out a high-pitched squeal, producing a sigh of annoyance from her black-haired companion.

Pointedly ignoring him however, Ino conjured up her most dazzling smile and stared at Naruto. "What was _that_?" She asked, bubbling with barely contained excitement. Her inquisitive, though slightly, well maybe not slightly nosy side would never live this down if she didn't find out what the teammate of her rival was doing a scant minute ago.

Taken aback by her energetic question, Naruto blinked and started stuttering, unable to form a proper response. He was saved however from having to answer, when Kakashi clapped a hand on his left shoulder and answered for him. "I'm afraid we can't tell you Ino."

Unperturbed, Ino decided to take another approach. The deadly puppy-dog eyes technique, which she had perfected so many years ago and was now irresistible to all the men and boys of Konoha. She looked up at the Jounin, watery blue eyes pleading and a trembling lower lip pouting cutely as she clasped her delicate hands in front of her chest. "Please?"

Giving no other indication of being affected by this lethal technique other than the slight narrowing of his only visible gray eye and a twitch in the corner of his lips, which was hidden by his mask at any rate, Kakashi shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

Ino was scandalized. Someone had actually defied the puppy-dog eyes? She turned to Naruto, who had recovered from her first reaction, and tried it on him as well, but was also denied when he shook his blonde head.

But while Ino was trying to 'liberate' the answer she so desperately craved, Shikamaru stayed silent. From the first moment he approached Kakashi and Naruto and saw them up-close, he couldn't help but feel there was something odd going on here.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes and inspected Kakashi. He didn't find anything wrong with him, he still hid his face from the general public and as the silver-haired man stood there nonchalantly with his hands in the pockets of his black slacks, Shikamaru guessed that the Jounin was probably still lazier than him like he always had been.

Focusing his gaze on Naruto, Shikamaru immediately did a double-take. Blinking as if to convince himself his vision wasn't impaired in any way, the Chuunin noticed straight away that Naruto was impossibly taller. Shikamaru was sure that only a few weeks ago, Naruto had been shorter than himself and now he was easily an inch or more taller.

But that wasn't what surprised him the most, when he stared into Naruto's eyes, he noticed they were altered. Naruto's once blue eyes were flecked with bits of its original colour but were now also a deep red. The overall effect was bizarre to Shikamaru to say the least.

Naruto, who was looking at Ino, noticed Shikamaru staring at him and quickly averted his eyes, staring at the ground and hoping that the Chuunin wouldn't say anything. The last thing he wanted was to make a scene out of all this and preferably keep as many people as he could in the dark about his current condition.

Ino's ranting fading to an irritating buzz in his ears; Shikamaru picked up on Naruto's desire to stay quiet about his recent changes, and kept his mouth shut. Not that he would have told anyone about it anyway, it would have taken him way too much energy to do so and Shikamaru wouldn't really want to be a person to be accused of being a gossip. No, he would leave that title to Ino.

Regardless, Naruto was spared from having to give any lengthy and possibly uncomfortable explanations in case Ino ever decided to notice the changes he had undergone. Quite suddenly, a loud and booming explosion echoed in the distance. It was followed just a few seconds later by a dissipating rolling shockwave that carried clumps of dirt, leaves and tiny rocks that peppered the four Leaf-nins as they turned their heads as one to stare at the source of the commotion in shock.

Naruto's eyes widened. "Temari-chan!" He gasped, and ran off in the direction of the explosion, leaving Kakashi to follow a split second later and Ino and Shikamaru wondering what the hell was going on before they too followed the distressed Genin.

* * *

_   
Temari fearfully crept up the stairs of her home, holding her breath every time the rickety wood would creak under her light weight. She really wanted to be a great Kunoichi like her mother, the great Tanigawa Suzura, and being noticed before she even arrived on the landing just wouldn't do._

_When Temari was finally at the top of the stairs, she peeked just over the last step and looked around carefully with her big emerald eyes. She knew that her mother was probably not going to yell at her, her mother never yelled..._

_Well..._

_Hardly ever anyway..._

_The only person she would yell at was her father, but that only started about when her mother became pregnant again. Though just a small child, Temari was clever enough to realize that was because her father had changed. He had become the Kazekage when she was born and would always play with her, but when her mother had told everyone that she was going to get a new brother or sister, he had turned so cold... So frightening..._

_Now was not the time to think about that though, Temari had a mission, and that mission was..._

"_Temari-chan!"_

"_Eep!" Temari cried out, nearly toppling over as her mother swung open one of the doors on the first floor, holding her swollen belly containing her yet unborn child, then focused her eyes on her daughter directly._

_Though looking surprised for only a moment, Suzura's eyes curved in a happy crinkle as she beamed at Temari, who, quite honestly, was scared out of her wits at her mother's sudden appearance. Laughing softly, Suzura scooped her now sobbing daughter in her arms and held her tightly as the small girl's teary sobs died down to muffled sniffs into her mother's shoulder as she latched on to her intricate lily patterned kimono with her small fists._

"_There there, Temari-chan." Her mother cooed, patting and rubbing the little girl's back affectionately. "Don't cry."_

_After a few more moments Temari leaned back, still held in her mother's arms and rubbed her teary eyes with the back of her hands and locked the now slightly puffy orbs with her mother's. She liked her mother's eyes, more because they were as brilliantly green as her own than anything. For some reason it made her feel special and strong just like her mother._

"_Am I in trouble?" Temari asked meekly as she sniffed once more, unable to stop herself. "Because I made Kankuro cry?"_

_Suzura grinned. "You made Kankuro-kun cry huh?" She inquired. "Let me guess, he wanted to play with your doll again?" When Temari nodded, her mother continued. "I swear, there is something really wrong with that boy."_

_Temari giggled and nodded again._

"_But..." Suzura said and bumped Temari upwards with her arms, earning herself a squeal of delight from the little girl. "...no, you're not in trouble, Temari-chan. Though maybe you should give him your doll to play with once in a while." She said, admonishing the girl slightly._

_Pouting immediately, Temari shook her head. "No I don't want to. He always drools on everything!"_

"_Well yes, he does that I guess..." Suzura nodded in agreement, causing her sleek blonde hair to fall into her eyes, immediately tucking it back behind one of her ears. "Oh, I know!" She exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "How about we buy him his own doll this week?"_

_Temari's scrunched up her face as she pondered about this. Kankuro getting a doll just like that? That seemed hardly fair now did it? "Can I have one too?" She finally asked softly and slowly, batting her eyelashes as she tried to impress her parent with her childish charm._

"_We'll see, ok?" Suzura laughed, and set Temari on one arm, reaching for the door behind her with the other as she turned towards it. "Now, I've got something to show you, but close your eyes first okay?"_

"_Okay." Temari said and closed her eyes, wondering what her mother was going to show her. Maybe it would be more toys for her to play with! Or maybe a pretty kimono like her mother wore so often! Maybe even some of those pretty and shiny metal things her mother was so fond of! Just barely able to contain her excitement, it took every ounce of Temari's willpower not to take a peek and spoil the surprise her mother had in store for her._

"_Ok Temari-chan, you can open your eyes now." Her mother whispered in her ear and set her down on the ground._

_The little girl shivered in delight and beamed a brilliant smile. Opening her emerald eyes, she gasped and felt them grow wide and round like coins._

_Lying on a dusty old table in a dark room she had never entered before, was the biggest and most beautiful fan she had ever seen. _

_Though no light seemed to filter in from anywhere, the perfect coat of onyx-black varnish that covered the heavy sturdy wood seemed to shine. The tightly woven cloth between the two pieces of wood consisted of cotton and other materials, clearly meant to last for an eternity. _

_Stepping in front of Temari, her mother picked up the fan and balanced it with both hands in front of the amazed little girl. With a flick of her wrist, Suzura unfolded it and revealed the cloth which was painted a pale beige along with three circles with an equal spacing between them; they were the same colour as the varnish on the wood._

"_For me?" Temari asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper._

"_Yes." Her mother said, her tone a deathly serious one, which unnerved her daughter a little bit. "Listen to me carefully, Temari-chan."_

_Tearing her eyes away from the beautiful fan, Temari looked Suzura in the eyes, staying silent so her mother could continue._

"_Just in case I'm not going to be around when you get older, I want you to know about this. This fan is a very powerful tool, be sure to take care of it and it will take care of you. Do you understand?" She asked, something flashing across her eyes which Temari could not identify because she had never experienced it herself..._

_Sorrow..._

"_Yes, I understand." Temari said, somehow comprehending that this was a very serious matter. "I'll protect Kankuro and my new brother or sister right?"_

_Her mother gave a sad smile, rubbing her belly absentmindedly. "Yes Temari-chan, become strong and protect them both." She said and refolded the fan, setting it back on the old table, the dust dulling the sound of wood hitting wood just barely._

_Grabbing Temari's small hands with one of her own and rubbed her daughter's head with the other, Suzura kneeled in front of her and bent forwards to place her lips on Temari's forehead. "Just remember, Temari-chan. I love all of you so very much..."_

* * *

An overly bright array of bright colours assaulted Temari as she cracked her eyes open, and consequently shut them immediately with a groan. To make matters worse, her head felt like someone was continuously ringing a massive brass gong inside of it. Blindly grabbing the sides of her head with her hands, she gingerly started rubbing her temples in an effort to alleviate some of the pain she was experiencing. 

A small pressure near her head alerted her to the presence of someone else, but she had no idea who it was. She felt her hands gently being pushed away to be replaced by a pair of gruff and calloused hands that took over the pain-reducing effort. Temari couldn't help but smile...

'_Mmm, that feels good...'_

"We really have to stop meeting like this, Temari-chan."

Her smile widened into a grin. "What makes you say that, Naruto-kun?"

The massaging hands paused momentarily as Naruto chuckled somewhere above her face. "Well, I kinda like being in your room and everything, but I don't like it when you or I have to have an accident for us to have some time to ourselves."

Temari nodded in agreement but only slightly, even her _neck_ hurt. "What the hell happened?" She asked. Everything before waking up just seemed like one big blur.

She could hear Naruto sigh wearily. "Me and Kakashi-sensei were training, and you and Kumiko went off to spar remember? We heard this big explosion and I arrived just in time to see you lying smoking in a really big crater."

"Smoking...?" Temari inquired, smacking her lips, noticing just how thirsty she was. She really felt like a big pile of... Well... Crap.

The weight pressing the thin mattress down above her head shifted slightly and she heard a clinking of glass, followed by the unmistakable sound of liquid being poured into said glass. Without opening her eyes, Temari tried to sit up, but was immediately pressed back down by Naruto. She was grateful, because every move just made her body ache painfully in places she had never known about before.

With his help, Temari lifted her head slightly, her muscles groaning in silent protest, and felt a glass being pressed against her lips. She opened her mouth and eagerly downed the cool liquid inside.

Temari had never been more grateful for a glass of water in her life.

When she had swallowed the last gulp of water, and heard Naruto put down the glass on the tatami-mat beside her futon with a dull clunk, Temari opened her eyes again. Her emerald eyes blinked rapidly for a few moments, allowing her to adapt to the light that shone through her windows. She tilted her chin slightly and looked upwards to see a grinning face with ruby and sapphire eyes look down at her.

"Good morning." The face said simply.

Temari grinned in return. "Good morning."

Despite enjoying his tender ministrations, Temari really wanted to know what had happened, and therefore, with a soft groan escaping her lips, sat upright and leaned back against the blonde youth. "Smoking?" She inquired again.

"Hehehe, yeah, you were kinda singed there, Temari-chan!" Naruto laughed. "Looks like you and Kumiko-san went a little bit overboard."

The buzzing in Temari's head multiplied tenfold upon hearing the girl's name and flashes of the events that transpired the day before flashed in front of her eyes.

A great ball of crackling energy... Unleashed by that katana from Kumiko when she unleashed some technique she had never heard of, let alone seen with her own eyes.

A rage unlike she had ever known filled her heart...

What had happened to...

"My fan!" Temari shouted suddenly, jolting forwards and immediately regretting it as she clutched her head when waves of pain rolled throughout her skull. "What happened to my fan?!" She tried again in a hoarse whisper.

A profound sigh behind her told Temari all she needed to know and she felt her heart plummet into the pit of her stomach. Naruto stood up from behind her and walked over to the side of her room, picking up a small nondescript brown sack she hadn't noticed up until now. Her eyes trailed the sack when Naruto sat back down, this time in front of her, and watched him empty it on her blanket.

"I'm sorry Temari-chan, we tried to find as much as we could, but..."

Temari stifled a sob when she saw the remains of her most trustworthy weapon. The last remaining link to her mother was reduced to a pathetic collection of woodchips, splinters and singed scraps of cloth.

"Kumiko-san didn't mean for it to happen..." Naruto began, unsure of what to say. How could he? He didn't know about the true meaning the fan had for Temari.

Temari's emerald eyes blazed briefly before unshed tears brimmed at the edge of her eyelashes. _'Kumiko... This is your fault... You're going to pay!'_

With a deep and shuddering breath, she locked her eyes with the now ruby-sapphire orbs of Naruto. The intensity of the emotion stirring in her emerald depths startled him and he was now truly at a loss for what to do. He did the only thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around Temari's shoulders, pressing her gently against him.

While most people would take that chance and let it all out, Temari tried to bottle up as much of her scrambled emotions as she could.

She wanted to turn into something more useful than tears...

"Temari-chan..."

The Sand-nin clutched Naruto's black shirt, with the orange Uzumaki swirl so prominent on display on the back and front, his jacket lying forgotten, carelessly thrown over the only chair in her room. "Please Naruto-kun... I... I need to be alone right now..."

A brief silence followed her words. "Are you sure?" He asked softly, not wanting to leave the girl when she was so obviously upset.

"Please..." Temari urged, setting her palms on his chest and pushing him away slightly. If he was going to stay any longer, she was sure she was going to crack and break down right then and there. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she did...

Naruto's heart was torn. He really didn't want to leave Temari like this, but he didn't want to disrespect her wishes either. And to make matters worse, he had obligations elsewhere that needed to be fulfilled. He knew that Kakashi was waiting for him to continue their training, seeing it was cut short when Naruto rushed to Temari's aid when he had heard that deafening explosion the day before.

But for all the pain the destroyed weapon caused Temari... If he didn't get stronger, the consequences could be direr than a destroyed weapon...

Silently, Naruto looked down at his girlfriend, whose face was now obscured by her spiky sandy-coloured hair as she stared at her lap.

Finally deciding that enough was enough, he placed his hands on both of her cheeks and gently, but firmly, forced her to look at him. His eyes crinkled as his lips curved into a tender smile filled with unspoken understanding, just before he leaned forwards and pressed them ever so gently on hers.

He stayed like that for a long time, all the while, eroding and whittling away at Temari's erected barriers that kept her emotions, though barely, in check.

When he drew back to draw breath, a small crack appeared into the barrier. When he repeated his actions, once again placing his lips on her own, the crack widened, letting the emotions gush out without abandon.

A small sob escaped the Kunoichi, followed by another with their lips still pressed together.

When Naruto ended the kiss, she couldn't hold back any longer and desperately clung to the his body like a near-drowning swimmer would to a life raft on an endless ocean. The sobs followed each other in rapid succession now, and she squeezed Naruto with all the strength she had.

Tears, like glittering diamonds, fell from between her scrunched up eyelids, and leaked out from the sides of her eyes, unperturbed by the fact that the girl didn't want them to fall. The blonde boy rubbed her back and stroked her hair slowly, understanding the need for her to have an outlet, and began rocking her from side to side gently...

"Shhh, Temari-chan, it's going to be alright. It's going to be alright..."

* * *

In Naruto's mind, things really couldn't get any worse. His somber face was a perfect reflection of that assessment and didn't go unnoticed by his sensei as he stood in front of him, trying to perfect the technique they had already spent two days practicing now. 

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Kakashi asked, tugging on his flak-jacket after staring at the boy try, and subsequently fail, to concentrate on precisely regulating the necessary chakra to form a keen-edged katana that wasn't horrible oversized.

Letting out a profound sigh, Naruto looked up to the silver-haired Jounin. "It's Temari-chan..."

"Ah." Kakashi stated simply and smiled behind his mask. "Girl problems huh, Naruto?" He added with a wink.

"No-no! It's not like that!" Naruto exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him wildly to accentuate his point. "There's just something really wrong, she's been really sad since that fight with Kumiko-san."

"Really? I would've thought she'd be happy, she did more or less beat Kumiko didn't she?"

Indeed, even though Temari had been knocked unconscious, scant seconds later, the girl who she'd been 'sparring' with, exhausted, bruised and just all-round beaten up, followed her to mental oblivion soon after. In a way, she was worse off than Temari; her wounds would no doubt take longer to heal.

After she had woken up, she had expressed her regret at having attacked Temari with that particular Jutsu, even though she had powered it down considerably to avoid any permanent damage. And she had... She just didn't realize the low-voltage lightning strike would blow up Temari's prized battle-fan when her lightning-imbued katana connected with it...

"No... I don't think that's it..." Naruto said hesitantly, rubbing his chin with his thumb and index finger. "I think it has something to do with her fan. But, if it's just a weapon, she can just buy a new one right?"

"Hmmm." Kakashi let out, mirroring his student's pensive gestures. "I don't know Naruto. There might have been something special about that weapon. Tools or no, Shinobi can get very attached to them."

"Oh." Really not knowing what else to say, Naruto lowered his eyes and stuck his hands into the pockets of his comfortable black jacket. Wiggling his hands about, his right hand suddenly touched a small grubby package and fished it out. Inspecting it closely, he recognized it as the thing he had bought days ago, on the day he went they all went to the Hokage's office to receive their mission-briefing.

The package was still in its original packaging, a plain dull brown wrapping paper, bound tightly closed with an ordinary bleached string. Naruto could have smacked himself in the head. Why hadn't he given this to Temari in the first place? It was bound to cheer her up.

"Kakashi-sensei!" He said excitedly and held the package up before him. "I..."

"Naruto, you bought something for me?" Kakashi interjected, swiping the package out of his student's hands and already started to unwrap it.

"No, I..." Naruto started after a brief moment of surprise, but was again interrupted by the Jounin who had finished unwrapping the package and had lifted it to eyelevel to inspect it.

"Naruto, what would I need this for, this would be more appropriate for a girl you know."

"I know that!" Naruto shouted angrily and stole the item back, coveting it with both of his hands. "It's for Temari-chan, not for you Kakashi-sensei!"

"Ah, sorry about that Naruto." The silver-haired Jounin chuckled and rubbed the back of his head before his visible eye drooped sadly. "But..." He muttered softly and turned around to face away from the blonde boy. "It would have been nice if a student of mine would have bought something for his poor old teacher..."

"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto began softly, his anger having left him like a popped balloon. "I didn't know..."

"Haha, just kidding!" Kakashi laughed, the drooping eye now curved in a happy crinkle as he turned around once more.

A cluster of veins threatened to explode on Naruto's forehead as he raised a shaking fist and clenched his teeth tightly. "Kakashi-sensei..." He growled, a score of threats left unspoken but made oh so clear.

The older man must have noticed it, because he quickly cleared his throat and spoke up. "So, you bought that for Temari?"

"Y-yeah." Naruto stuttered, slightly confused from jumping from one emotion to the next, and let his arms drop feebly to his sides yet clutched the package securely with his right fist.

The Jounin bent over slightly to stare Naruto squarely in the eyes. "She'll love it."

A silly grin framing his face, and ruby-sapphire eyes downcast, Naruto nodded. "I hope so."

Behind his mask, Kakashi smiled. _'You are truly one of a kind, Naruto...'_

* * *

The next day found Temari walking across the quiet streets of Konoha, walking aimlessly to clear her whirling mind after she had been able to drag herself from her room. Not even the precious rays of sunlight that filtered through small holes of the clouds above could lift her saddened spirit. 

Even though she didn't want to admit it, she had felt slightly relieved after crying on the shoulder of the one person she knew she could trust above all others. In just a short time, Naruto had grown more precious to her than even her own brothers. Gaara used to be a homicidal maniac, and Kankuro a plain whiny person, but they were still family...

Still, they just didn't seem to compare to the bubbling youth that now occupied a very special place in her heart.

Yet even though the Kunoichi knew she was being silly, she couldn't help but feel ashamed as well. This, coupled with the overwhelming feeling of being unable to do anything about her current situation angered her. Temari fantasized about making the white-haired girl pay for causing her so much grief.

Two things stopped her from actually playing out one of the fantasies. One, she really didn't think Naruto would appreciate her killing his new teammate. Two, aside from upsetting the person she now cared so intensely for, all of her fantasies seemed to come to a very messy end which would no doubt result in her being kicked out of Konoha along with her brothers.

Or worse...

A stifled scream of exasperation escaped her lips and she glared at the ground before focusing her attention on a small piece of rock, worn smooth over the amount of time it had lain there. Now it just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. With her pent up frustration and the awkward feeling of helplessness reaching a boiling point, she kicked the innocent stone with the point of her sandaled foot with all her strength.

The rock pelted haphazardly through the air at near supersonic speeds, and Temari felt insurmountably better, until she cringed unwillingly when she heard someone cursing just a few yards away.

"OUCH! Holy crap, what the hell was that?!"

Temari narrowed her emerald eyes and stared in the direction where the masculine voice shouted from. That lazy drawl even though he was obviously in pain... That odd black pineapple hairdo... That insufferable scowl on his uncaring face...

Eyes widening in recognition, Temari pointed a near accusing finger at him. "You! What are you doing here?!"

"What?!" The black-haired young man shouted in return. "What are you talking about, I live here you troublesome woman! What did you do that for?!"

Temari was about to respond, but the victim of her "rock-bullet" apparently wasn't done venting his indignation about the current situation.

"Damnit, I can't even walk around anymore, stupid women hurting me just for the fun it. They never leave me alone! Why me, damnit!"

"Hey!" Temari screeched. She was glad to have someone on whom she could shamelessly vent her emotions on before she would, quite literally, explode. "Shut up you lazy bastard. I thought things were always too troublesome for you, why are you getting so worked up over this!"

The boy stomped over to the Sand-nin who now leant back slightly, placing the back of her hands on her hips and sticking her chin into the air defiantly. "My name is Shikamaru, address me properly! I'll get worked over this if I damn well feel like it! I'm tired of being pushed around by you people!"

By "you people", the Chuunin of course meant the female gender...

All of Temari's spiky pigtails swayed back and forth and up and down as she unperturbedly continued her verbal lashing of her unsuspecting victim. "Like hell I'll address you properly, you egghead!"

"Egghead?!" Shikamaru blinked in surprise, before his dark eyes narrowed in anger. "You woman strut around all high and mighty all the time, what in Kami-sama's name do you stick up your ass to make you act this cranky!"

With that comment, something inside Temari's had snapped like a brittle twig.

Blood was pumped by the bucket load to her face, making her almond-shaped eyes feel like they were nearly going to pop out of their sockets, and made her face redden increasingly.

She wanted to maim... To kill... To just hurt someone... _Anyone_...

Judging from the fact that Shikamaru's anger dissolved for the dawn of slight fear, the unspoken message was made quite clear to the budding Chuunin.

Thinking quickly, and silently thanking whatever spirits were out there for his intelligence, Shikamaru formed a single hand seal and muttered something under his breath.

Reason having completely left her, Temari didn't recognize the seal that should have been obvious to her and stoked the flames of her burning rage fiercely. But when she wanted to move forward and wring the boy's neck and ultimately squash it like an overripe piece of fruit, she found her body unresponsive as it had been only once before.

Her anger only dying down slightly due to surprise, Temari roared at him. "Release me, damn you!"

Shikamaru's frown hid the slight feeling of fear he had felt just moments ago. Exchanging verbal insults with a woman was all well and good, but really, Temari didn't seem to want to stop until she had actually killed someone.

In this unfortunate case, him...

"Jeez, calm down will you?" He said in a lazy drawl, recovering from his own uncharacteristic outburst, which only served to irritate the girl further.

"Calm down? CALM DOWN?!" She screamed at him, flecks of spittle sent flying as her behaviour grew more and more hysterical. "Don't tell me to calm down you asshole! RELEASE ME! RELEASE ME NOW!!!"

Shikamaru closed his eyes for a moment, trying to adapt to the increasing strain of Temari rebelling against his technique, before he reopened them and stared at her enraged features silently. _'Man, what's wrong with her... She's scary...'_ He thought as a few droplets of sweat began to roll down his temples.

He tried to ignore the raving girl as she very nearly began to foam in the mouth with all her cursing and snarling. But after years of watching clouds and playing strategic board games, he had patience to spare. It seemed to him that it would do them both some good if he would just keep silent for a while.

Not that he had any problem doing that anyway...

Temari wasn't aware of the amount of time that was passing. All she wanted to do was exact holy vengeance on the infidel that had dared restrain her. 'Screw the consequences' was the unspoken motto that ran through her head constantly. Someone was going to pay, whether the unlucky target of her rage was innocent or not, she didn't care anymore.

Why was everyone in this whole village against her? Why were they all intent on making her suffer? Those were the questions that dominated Temari's mind. But immediately as she began to think about those two questions, another small part of her mind piped up in defiance.

'_Is that really true? Someone doesn't you know.'_

Temari didn't really know how to respond to that. _'Yeah, someone doesn't...'_ She agreed with that little part of her mind.

But when that thought hit her, it was as if a stopper was being unplugged somewhere, and drained her of her anger at a frighteningly rapid pace. Yet Temari didn't want it to go, and tried to remain enraged, it was so much easier than...

"Hey, are you done now?" Shikamaru asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Emerald eyes swiveled to look at the black-haired youth who still kept her prisoner with his trademark technique. Shikamaru was startled to find another emotion flitting across her eyes so quickly.

'_Are all women like that?'_ He questioned himself. He was thoroughly amazed, if somewhat annoyed, that she seemed to go from angered to what seemed to be sadness so quickly. _'What in the world would she be sad about?'_

Indeed, even though he had only met her a couple of times, Shikamaru had actually thought that Temari would have been able to take all the crap shoveled on top of her and brush it off as if it was nothing, and then some. Well that and she would probably use that super-oversized fan of hers and beat it to death.

Speaking of which...

"Is this because of that dumb fan of yours?" Shikamaru stated bluntly, finding it too troublesome to beat around the bush.

Temari's eyes narrowed slightly before she averted her gaze and muttered something softly. "That's none of your business... Let me go..."

With one dark eyebrow nearly disappearing into his scalp, Shikamaru folded his arms in front of his chest with Temari mirroring his movements unwillingly.

"Why are you being so weak?" Shikamaru asked, taking one step closer to her and subsequently forcing the Kunoichi to do the same.

"What! I'm not being..." Temari began hotly before Shikamaru silenced her by speaking up himself.

"Yeah you are. What, are you pissed off because your weapon blew up?"

Mouth opening and closing like a goldfish drifting aimlessly in a bowl of water, unable to get away from the intense scrutiny of its owner, Temari remained silent.

Shikamaru took that as a yes. "And now you're pissed off at that white-haired girl for destroying it. For being stronger than you?"

"She wasn't stronger than me, she was just lucky!" Temari retorted, wanting to get away from his unrelenting questions.

"What a hassle..." Shikamaru sighed and shook his head from side to side slowly. "Then why are you getting so angry? Can't you just buy a new one and kick her ass in a rematch or something?"

"That's exactly the problem; I can't buy a new one. It was very..." Temari blurted out before she knew what had happened and proceeded to mentally kick herself for letting it slip.

'_Ah, now we're getting somewhere.'_ Shikamaru thought to himself. "It was what, one of a kind? Very valuable to you? Was it from some dead relative or something?"

"Shut up! That's none of your damn business! Now leave me alone!" She shouted in vain, before returning to glare fruitlessly at the ground.

Feeling he had hit the jackpot there, Shikamaru wanted to give her a piece of advice before he would let her go. Because in all honesty, it was becoming increasingly difficult to remain his hold on the woman and he just wanted to be alone for a while...

With no _women_ annoying him.

"Man, it's way too troublesome to hold onto grudges you know. Just let it go. Get a new weapon or something. I doubt the one who gave you that stupid thing in the first place would want you to get so worked up over this."

Whether she liked it or not, his words hit home and she was too startled by the blatant obviousness of it that she didn't immediately notice him releasing her. Only when she heard a soft grinding of sandals and the gritty sidewalk she currently found herself on, did she look up again.

Having turned his back on Temari, Shikamaru spared her a final glance over his shoulder. "Stop being so angry, it makes you even more troublesome than you were before." And without waiting for a reply, he strode away, hands casually stuck in his front pockets.

She wanted to scream, to cry or blow something up. But for some reason, she felt herself unable to do anything but stare at the seemingly perpetually bored Chuunin until he disappeared around a corner in the distance.

Temari stood there for a few moments longer, trying to process everything that had transpired just now, until with a faint smile, she turned around as well and headed home.

Whether he had intended it or not, it seemed that Shikamaru's words had helped Temari more than he could possibly know. Even though she would probably never forgive Kumiko for destroying her most precious possession, she would divert her energy to more worthwhile tasks. After all, they had a mission coming up soon, and Temari would not become a burden to anyone.

* * *

"Lee-kun! Lee-kun!" Sakura yelled energetically as she ran towards a boy with a peculiar bowl haircut.

"Sakura-chan" Lee smiled. "You're early."

The pink-haired Kunoichi smiled in return and skidded to a halt a few feet in front of her training-partner, nearly slipping on the slick grass. "Yeah! Shizune-sensei let me go early. She told me I was doing really well!"

"Great job!" Lee congratulated her, giving her a thumbs up and a toothy smile that sparkled even without the aid of direct sunlight. "Youth power will prevail!"

Sakura grinned and nodded happily, returning the hand gesture. "Hell yeah!"

Unable to keep up the pretense, Sakura quickly broke down into a peel of giggles. Even if she had often called Lee and his antics creepy, she loved the way he could make her smile and laugh. There was just nothing above the feeling of being able to cut loose and be silly with someone.

Lee on the other hand, loved to make Sakura laugh. In the aftermath of bringing back Sasuke, he found she didn't smile or laugh nearly enough anymore. Even if it were short moments like this, he treasured them dearly. Because despite his promises to himself...

"Sakura-chan..." Lee muttered sadly, trying his best to keep his face neutral.

"Hmm? Did you say something, Lee-kun?" The pink-haired girl asked, fingering her braid as she shifted her gaze from the sky to the Taijutsu-user.

"Oh!" Lee exclaimed, surprised that she had heard him and began waving his hands in front of him franticly. "No, no, it's nothing, Sakura-chan!"

"Eh?" Sakura uttered and closed the distance between the two of them by a few steps to look him squarely in the eyes. "You are sure acting weird today, Lee-kun." She stated bluntly.

With a blush staining his cheeks, Lee jumped backwards and struck his favorite "good-guy" pose once more. "Really, it's nothing. Now let's go train some more, you want to be prepared as much as you can for your most important mission!"

Thinking better than pursue the route of questioning Lee further about his odd behaviour, Sakura nodded slowly and began moving towards the middle of the field to begin her daily exercise.

Lee let out a small sigh of relief. _'I'm sorry Gai-sensei, I'm too cowardly to bare my heart to my beloved Sakura-chan.'_ He thought to himself, apologizing to his mentor for his lack of courage. But when he heard Sakura shout out to him, waving him over with a radiant smile, he felt his insides turn to jelly. _'Maybe after your mission. Wait for me... Sakura-chan...'_

* * *

"Why are you doing this?" A voice asked, startling a timid girl with short navy-blue hair who was currently busying herself with arranging several day to day items in one of her cabinets in her room. 

"E-eh? Neji-nii-san. What are you doing here?" The girl stuttered, turning around to look at a boy with bandaged arms folded across his chest.

The black-haired youth blinked slowly before he stared intently into the girl's pupil-less aquamarine eyes. "Why are you doing this, Hinata-sama?" He repeated himself, purposely ignoring her question.

"W-well, I... I..." Hinata stuttered. Even with the improved relationship with her cousin, she still seemed unable to relax in his presence and began fumbling with her fingers as she always did when she was nervous.

A near inaudible sigh reached her ears and she lowered her eyes reflexively. A dull clunking came closer and with a squeak; she felt her hands being grabbed by those of her cousin. She looked up into his eyes, expecting to see a disapproving frown, or at least a scowl that told her he was displeased with her. Yet she only saw a neutral expression, and maybe... A small glimmer of concern?

"He doesn't love you like you do him." Neji stated calmly, correctly guessing what troubled her.

"I-I know..." She breathed, lowering her eyes once more. "B-but I have to s-see him one more time b-before he goes a-away."

With what seemed a comforting squeeze, Neji let her hands go and turned around to walk out of Hinata's bedroom. Pausing momentarily at the doorpost, he turned around to say something. "Hinata-sama... Do not worry, there will be others..."

Hinata looked up, surprised, but found that Neji had already disappeared from view. She shook her head from side to side. Her cousin's actions still puzzled her. True, he still acted cold towards... Well... Nearly everyone and everything, but it was different than before. Normally it was disdain, and you always knew he looked down on you.

But now...

Shaking her head more forcefully, Hinata cleared her mind of those thoughts. Today would be the last time she would pine over the spike-haired boy she had admired for so long. With strides filled with purpose, she exited her room and walked through the near cavernous hallways of the Hyuuga manor.

Hinata would finally allow herself closure from the boy that had unknowingly granted her so much happiness and pain.

* * *

The week had gone by fast for Naruto. Aside from sleeping and eating, he barely had any time to himself. Nearly every waking moment had been spent on trying to perfect the technique his sensei, Kakashi, had developed for him. And even though he still had some trouble with it, he was able to form a suitable length for the blade he was supposed to learn how to wield properly. 

For Kumiko, who trained a few yards away from Kakashi and Naruto as they kept trying to mold a large amount of chakra into a form that resembled a sharp-edged katana, the trials of Naruto were slightly comical.

The variations of Naruto's attempts were as different as night and day. One moment he overdid it, resulting in a towering and unwieldy blade that had sliced a poor old tree through the middle when he had stumbled, while on the next, he conserved too much chakra, which produced a diminutive knife barely fit for slicing an apple.

Yet for all his failures, Naruto persevered and had finally begun learning the basic sword techniques from the Hidden Moon refugee. Though Kumiko had learned him a lot in such a short time, she probably would have taught him more had she not been clutching her midsection in a fit of giggles due to Naruto's antics. For some reason, the blonde boy managed to mess up every single kata she had demonstrated.

The most memorable moment had been when he was supposed to spread his legs, but seeing it had rained earlier that day, he slipped, resulting in a wonky sort of banana-split that made Naruto moan in agony, and made Kakashi wince and groan in sympathy.

Despite all of the trials and tribulations, Naruto's unwillingness to give up shone through. And even though he was far from being able to compare to any master-swordsman, he knew enough so he wouldn't cut himself, or others, by accident, and would be able to attack any possible enemies with some basic moves.

Even with these things to keep him busy, Naruto juggled the rest of his time between spending it with Temari and spending a few precious hours with her brother, Gaara. Naruto had decided to take him out and head into the village to do something fun... Sadly, when Naruto meant to do something fun, it usually resulted in going to the only place where he was truly comfortable when he wasn't at home.

Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

Gaara on the other hand, didn't find this truly upsetting. After all, he had never experienced a social life of any kind back in Sunagakure. And even though he didn't find ramen nearly as delicious as the hyperactive blonde seated next to him, who was slurping away bowls upon bowls of the soupy brew, he was grateful for someone going out of his way to willingly spend time with him.

Gaara was still quite ignorant of the whole friendship thing, but if it included spending time with people that actually seemed to like him, he figured that it couldn't be half that bad.

The day before their mission would have had actually started, Naruto wanted to spend the full day with his still brand-new girlfriend. He wanted to know everything about her. Suspiciously enough, Kakashi had given him the day off to do something for himself that day. His suspicions were well-founded, because when he had dragged Temari away from one of Konoha's many training-fields to take a leisurely walk across the village, he was whisked away by a hulking figure seated atop a frog the size of a small house.

It had been none other than the perverted hermit, Jiraiya.

After screaming himself hoarse over a period of thirty minutes, Naruto had nearly emptied his vocabulary of curses and doom-inspiring threats. When he paused to draw in large gulps of precious air and a few sips of water from a nearby brook that crisscrossed across a small field the sennin had taken him to, Jiraiya took the opportunity to first whack him hard over the head for his insolence and then proceeded to inspect the new changes Naruto had gone through seemingly overnight.

Naruto seethed as the old man prodded and poked him, uttering nothing else than several hums and 'I see, I see's', before he finally slapped the massive hands away from his body and demanded an explanation on why he had been taken so suddenly.

Jiraiya of course, first had to live up to his self-proclaimed title of "super pervert" before he gave an answer.

Thus, the next fifteen minutes had been spent talking to and questioning Naruto about things that made his face go aflame and made him sure that his head would pop off from his body if it would have continued any longer. Luckily though, the hermit took pity on him and explained to him why he had taken Naruto to their remote location.

When he had finished, Naruto was left standing stunned.

It seemed that Jiraiya wasn't going to teach him any new flashy new Jutsu's, or a brand new technique of any kind. But he was going to refine one that Naruto already knew. Before the blonde Genin had a chance to object though, Jiraiya shut him up with the simple promise that if he mastered this, a brand new way of fighting would be open to him.

After that, and with surprisingly little resistance from Naruto, the hermit and his ad-hoc student had spent the rest of the day going through the training Jiraiya had set out for Naruto.

When all was said and done, Naruto was allowed to drag his sweaty and tired self back home... Where he promptly fell asleep on the doorstep with his jacket half-removed from his being and his keys still wedged in the lock of the front door.

Gaara, never one to sleep much, if indeed at all, quickly noticed the slight commotion and swiftly dumped Naruto on the exhausted blonde's own futon.

Blessed with the ability to be refreshed after a single night's rest though, Naruto was already jumping about in the early morning. Though the jumping was mostly caused by a very sadistic Kankuro, who didn't want to be late because of a snoring Naruto and had dumped a bucket full of icy water over him.

His gloating over the wet sputtering and frantic scrambling of Naruto was cut short however, when he turned around and came eye to eye with a _very_ angry Temari.

Subsequently, and with only one punch, Kankuro was sent flying through the entire length of the significant hallway of the second floor, and now nursed a bump that threatened to become the size of a small mountain.

After a hearty breakfast, and with Sakura swinging by so they could all leave together, though first they had to revive the pink-haired girl who had fainted when she saw the changed Naruto, the group of six Genins went off to the main gate of Konoha. So Naruto found himself now, walking hand in hand with Temari, answering her questions about his abduction the day before. Temari's brothers, Sakura and Kumiko trailed only a slight distance behind.

"...I mean, Ero-sennin can be so annoying!" Naruto exclaimed.

Temari laughed. "But it wasn't all that bad though, right?"

Squeezing her hand affectionately, Naruto shook his head. "No it wasn't. It was actually pretty cool what he had to teach me, but I can't tell you guys what it is though. He made me promise."

"Ugh, seriously, you guys make me sick." Came a disgusted mutter from behind them.

"Shut up, Kankuro!" Temari shot back, her mirth quickly gone from her voice.

"Jealous are you?" Kumiko chimed, eager to annoy the puppet-user, and directed a wink at Gaara who had turned his head to watch the brewing confrontation between the girl and his brother.

"W-what? No!" Kankuro spluttered, outraged. "How dare you!"

"Quite easily, doll-boy."

"Damnit! I'll kill..."

"Please, Kumiko-san, Kankuro-san, be quiet. It's still early, people are sleeping." Sakura interrupted, playing the peacemaker.

In truth, her nerves were on edge. Sakura was eager to prove herself on this mission, and wasn't sure if she could take any backhanded sniping of each other's traits during the trip to meet up with Kakashi.

Things sure had changed recently, and Kankuro wasn't sure if he liked it. Due to Naruto's odd growth-spurt, Kankuro was unable to take advantage of his previous height advantage. It didn't have that much of an effect in the first place, but he liked to think so anyway. Now, the new resident, Kumiko, with her face still slightly bruised from her fight with his sister, had taken to continuously annoy him.

Kankuro folded his arms across his chest after making sure his two puppets were still fastened securely on his back and let out a sound of indignation, which in turn produced a broad grin on Kumiko's face.

Nearby, undetected by the small group, Hinata stalked across the nearby rooftops, taking occasional peeks at the two figures who led the group. Even though the sight of Naruto being so close with the girl from the Hidden Sand Village whom she barely knew about hurt her unlike anything else she had experienced before, a small pained smile curved her lips.

Heart hammering in her chest and fingers clenching almost painfully on the edge of a large wooden sign she hid behind, she snuck a final glance at the duo.

"Naruto-kun... I'm... Happy for you..." She whispered softly and disappeared, leaving nothing else than a single teardrop on the wooden boards as proof of her ever being been there.

A short distance away, Naruto suddenly stopped and turned around.

"What's wrong?" Temari asked, confused.

"Hmm?" Naruto uttered, taking a few more seconds to scan his surroundings before turning around once more to face Temari. "Oh, nothing, Temari-chan... I just thought..." He paused, unsure of himself. "I just thought... That someone was watching us, that's all..."

Temari stared at him for a few seconds, her emerald eyes taking in the true concern apparent on his features, then placed her lips briefly on his cheek before tugging on his hand to entice him to continue walking again. "Come on, Naruto-kun. Let's go."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, five of which spent waiting for a certain silver-haired Jounin, a record for him they were sure, they found themselves before the imposing gates of Konoha. Kakashi had promised them to brief them while they walked and without waiting for any response, walked towards the pair of guards that stood before the gate. 

A brief conversation, and a fair few of suspicious glares directed at the Sand siblings and Naruto later, the gate consisting of rows upon rows of very large and thick tree trunks, was slowly being swung open with deafening creaks to let the party out.

Kakashi took in the different responses that were silently or not so silently being portrayed by the six Genins. Naruto of course, made his joy apparent loudly, eliciting a few giggles from Temari as she tried in vain to curb his outrageous nature.

He didn't know what Gaara thought, but then again Kakashi thought hardly anyone would be able to see past that calm exterior of his.

Sakura, naturally, growled in annoyance to Naruto's antics and Kankuro seemed positively giddy with glee of being able to escape from being cooped up in Konohagakure.

But Kakashi was most worried about Kumiko. With so little time having past of the tragedy that had befallen her and her clan, he had protested with having his team being put on this mission so soon. But after a lengthy talk with the fifth Hokage, she had convinced him of the necessity of going on this mission with all of them.

He just hoped they would be able to get it over with soon, and seeing Kumiko look so worried as well, Kakashi was sure she agreed with him.

* * *

"Suzura" is a play on "Suzuran", which means "lily of the valley", seemed like a fitting name for the Sand sibling's mother. "Tanigawa" means "Valley River". 

Kata: A string of basic body positioning and movement exercises. You could say it is some kind of dance.

* * *

_   
A/N: Hey guys... Long time no update huh?_

_I apologize for that. Really. But University is truly killing me. All my time seems to be sucked up by it, which is annoying as you can very well imagine. But the new chapter is here, longer than any before._

_That counts for something, right?_

_Before I go to the review response I've got to say a few things._

_First: Apparently I'm taking quite a risk in responding to your reviews. Karrafear, an author of great renown, was hit by the merciless crew and they deleted a story of hers because it was too "interactive". Ah well, if my fic gets deleted, I'll count on you all to bring my review-count right back up to speed eh? : )_

_Second: Hah! You really though I was gonna spoil so many things so easily? The gift, the deal with Kyuubi, the mission and the thing Jiraiya taught Naruto are going to be revealed later. LATER. Hah again for good measure!_

_Yes, I know I'm evil. A certain Swede reminds me nearly every day._

_Third: Quite a few of you will agree with me on this, but the title of this fic is sorta crappy. I'm stumped on what I'd change it into, so if any of you have any suggestions, I'll be more than happy to hear them out. _

One more thing, some of you might be wondering why I did what I did with Hinata. Well I figured I would stick to the overal theme that seems to be going on in the manga. Naruto's just unaware of her feelings, and the theme of her love going unnoticed by him is being reflected by me like this. I hope I didn't dissapoint anyone, but this is how I feel it would happen.

_Now, without further ado, and hoping that I'll be able to update sooner next time, I'll get to the review response!_

_**refused:** I could tell ya to update as well, but meh, that would tax you too much now wouldn't it? Just, y'know, post a new chapter before this year ends, yeah? :P_

_**Princess-Tsunade:** Hehe, sorry about the abundant kiss-scenes Princess, but what can I say. I love Temari! Thanks for all the compliments and stuff, but you're a great source of inspiration though. : ) I hope you're feeling better and everything, and I also hope you will do/did well on your finals. Don't let anything get in the way of your studies!_

_**blazer6:** Well I won't spoil new techniques so easily I'm afraid. About Naruto's change in height. No, I'm sorry, but he won't magically turn into a buff and awe-inspiring Adonis overnight. Muscle comes with training, not from a Chakra-infusion. The special thing about Naruto's eyes, well, you'll just have to wait and see I'm afraid. Oh by the way, thanks a million for making me laugh like you did with that review you gave "refused". Me, a big-shot, hah, now that's a good one. Naw really, we're buddies, I beta his stuff and he looks over my stuff. It's a good deal methinks, although he might disagree since my chapters keep getting longer and longer..._

_**Yondaime-samaKazaraYume:** Take your time, god knows I do! Thanks for the review and for still continuing that fic you dedicated to me! (really, it's an awesome gesture, thanks a bunch!) : )_

_**Kuwabaras pupil and I.P.Freely:** Hmm, though the idea of kicking ass is alluring, I'm afraid I'd lose readers though. I don't think they'd appreciate me kicking their behinds eh? Thanks for the review, uh, both of you. :P_

_**Keltosh:** Aye, I share your views on Sasuke. But you know, I have to mention him at least a couple times eh? And I can't really bash him without reason... Well I could, but then I'd lose lots and lots of readers. Anyway, about the characters being overpowered? They are growing up, so naturally they'll learn new Jutsu's and the like, but don't worry, they won't become one-man armies in the blink of an eye. I don't think I'll let that happen even with Naruto, and he's got Kyuubi on his side._

_**Max Knight:** Hehe, sorry if I'm torturing you, but I can't spoil everything from the get-go, that would ruin everything. And Jiraiya and Tsunade don't have something going on. Don't know if I'll do that either, we'll just have to wait and see._

_**Maruku-Kenshin:** Kumiko will probably have a pairing, who it will be is still uncertain. Thanks for the review!_

_**Anime Lance:** I hope you've found a bit about sword-fighting etc, I could sure use it for my future chapters. Thanks in advance._

_**Omnis Morganis:** The feeling is likewise my friend, now update as well before I fly over to wherever you live and bonk you on the head for not updating sooner. :P (have I used that threat before?)_

_**EfrainMan:** Hehehe, more fights are on their way, don't worry. About the pairings you considered, well... As I always say, we'll have to see what happens eh?_

_**S-Wanderer999:** First of all, thanks for all the suggestions and tips, can't guarantee I'll use them though... But anyway, I disagree with you about the elements. Call it a pokémon system or what not, but I think that certain elements have weaknesses to other elements. Though as the Shinobi or Kunoichi grows in power, and thus their attacks might be powerful enough to nullify disadvantages, I think that there should be a certain weakness if the two Shinobi's and/or Kunoichi's are at somewhat the same level of power. As far as the summoning goes... Well I can guarantee that there will be no summoning of awesome demon-beasts. I can't say anything about a future bond between Naruto and Temari though... : )_

_**sand-nin-gurl:** Hmmm, okay, here's the update... Took longer than I expected though, I hope you didn't commit seppuku (the ritual suicide). Hehe, I said it before in a review, but thanks again for the picture, it's awesome._

_**Aleh:** Yeah, sorry about that, only noticed that later on. I'll change it when I've revised my earlier chapters. But seeing I've got my hands full on releasing the new ones..._

_**SilverNightsFreedom:** She already wrote ahead. Something I should have done too I guess, but I'm nowhere near as good as Princess-Tsunade is though._

_**bLack:** Yep, I realize it was corny, and don't worry, it's on the top of my list of things to edit when I get to revising my chapters._

_**Luna:** Housewife hmm? Well I suppose you're right in a way... But then again, she's used to taking care of things for her brothers and all that..._

_**Rik V:** I could kick your ass for saying I should update more frequently... But then I'd lose a reader eh? Sorry about the sporadic updating, but university is really leeching all of my free time. And as for not listening to suggestions? Well I think you're wrong, there have been numerous suggestions in the reviews that I've received that I've held in the back of my mind. Some of them coincided with the ideas I already had, and some actually sounded good so I implemented them somewhat. But anyway, thanks for the review... I think. :P_

_**Blaboy:** Yep I'm dutch. Naruto is gaining some power from Kyuubi. No invasion of the body snatchers routine... And as for training and Jutsu's go... Maybe._

_**Calophi, clicke, Kyubi-Naruto, Raidin, arekuruu-inabikari-no-She, stoictimer, Skuld's Sentaro, Sirus183, Crutches, TimeShifter16, Misato001, Inferno-Dragonz, Zedrik, kashisenshey, Stratagemini, nonengel, Stonebridge, Gopu, Salsar Thiran, Hisoka316, SilverMoonlight, warprince2000, Chaos-Empersonified, Ilovehoagies, Stonebridge, Yisulain, Greg, azereath:** Thank you all for your reviews. I appreciate them all very much. Believe it or not, they are part of what keeps me writing this fic._


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